FEDERAL AND STATE AID 



EDUCATION IN IOWA 



B Y 

HUGH STRAIGHT BUFFUM, Ph.D. 

INSTRUCTOR IN EDUCATION AT THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA 



REPRINTED FROM THE OCTOBER 1906 AND THE 
JANUARY APRIL AND JULY 1907 NUMBERS OF 
THE IOWA JOURNAL OF HISTORY AND POLITICS 
FOR THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA 






Gift 

Carnefirip. InsW 
DEC s tswe 



PREFACE 

This study of Federal and State Aid to Education in Iowa 
was first published in four installments in The Iowa Journal 
of History and Politics. These installments appeared in 
the issues for October, 1906, and for January, April, and 
July, 1907. Through the courtesy of The State Historical 
Society of Iowa, by which the Journal is published, the 
Department of Education of The State University of Iowa 
is permitted to issue this volume as a reprint of the four 
installments brought together under one cover. It is the 
thought of the writer that in this way facts of some educa- 
tional value are made available which otherwise could not 
be obtained except from many and widely separated sources. 

Hugh S. Buffdm 



CONTENTS 



Introduction 



PART I 

Fbdeeal Aid to Education in Iowa 
Federal Land Grants 
The Sixteenth Section Grant 
The Five Hundred Thousand Acre Grant 
The University Grant 
The Saline Land Grant 
The Agricultural College Grant 
The Five Section Grant 
The Swamp Land Grant 
The Five Per Cent Fund 
The Second Morrill Act Fund 
Federal Aid to Experiment Stations 

PART II 

State Aid to Education in Iowa 

State Appropriations for the University 

Millage Tax for the University 

State Appropriations for the Agricultural College 

Millage Tax for Agricultural College 

State Appropriations for the State Normal School 

Millage Tax for Normal School 

Aid to County Institutes .... 

PART III 

Some Comparisons vtith Other States . 

The Federal Land Grants .... 

Amount of Federal Aid to Agricultural Colleges 



4 

4 
11 
26 
36 

41 
54 
64 
67 
81 
84 
87 



90 
90 
101 
105 
117 
122 
129 
131 



136 
137 
138 



CONTENTS 



Federal Land Grants for State Universities 
Number of Normal Schools 
State Aid to Higher Education 
State Aid to High Schools 
Conclusion .... 



Refeeences 



141 
144 
146 
14V 
150 

151 



INTRODUCTION 

A glance at the educational writings of the past few years 
will show that more and more attention is being paid to the 
financial problems of education. That this is the case needs 
no apology. It is not an indication that the minds of 
educators are becoming sordid and mercenary, but simply 
that educational thinkers are becoming more fully awake 
to the fact that among the important — indeed, the essential 
— factors in the successful administration of any educational 
institution are the factors pertaining to its financial support. 
While the making of money should not be the end and aim 
of any educational institution, yet without funds and a 
measure of wisdom in their administration an educator, 
even with the loftiest ideals and ambitions, will usually not 
be able to conduct a school successfully. Buildings must be 
erected and equipped; heat, light, and laboratory and 
library supplies must be provided; salaries of teachers must 
be paid; and for many other purposes funds are essential. 
The amount, sources, care, and expenditure of funds should 
receive even more attention than is now being given to 
these matters. The successful administrator of educational 
affairs must have not only high ideals as to the ends to 
be striven for in his work, but also ability to obtain, care 
for, and use funds for the attainment of such ends. 

Studies of various phases of school financing in the differ- 



2 I^'TRODUCTIOX 

ent States of the Union may be of much, value. Such 
'Studies should be made in at least a few States in which 
ai'e found methods characteristic of a group of States. For 
example, in the matter of the care and disposal of its Fed- 
eral land grants Iowa may be taken as a type of certain 
States of the ^Mississippi Talley. On the other hand, other 
States of the 3Iiddle ^est have treated their lands received 
from such sources by methods considerably different fi"om 
those used by Iowa. A comparative study of the laws 
of the various States is profitable not only fi'om the stand- 
point of historical interest, but also for its suggestive value 
in the newer States where school lands are yet largely 
unsold. 

A complete undei-standing and appreciation of present 
conditions in regard to almost any enterprise depends in 
a laj'ge measui'e upon a knowledge of the evolution and 
growth of that enterprise. Accordingly, the larger part of 
this study of Federal and State Aid to Education in Iowa 
is historical. The concluding chapter is devoted to a brief 
comparison of some Iowa conditions with those of a few 
other States. 

The present paper on Federal and Stute Aid to Educa- 
tion in loica has grown out of the first of a series of studies 
recently made and still being canied on by the writer and 
by other graduate students in the Department of Education 
at The State University of Iowa. Several other discussions 
of various phases of educational finance are to follow. This 
paper was presented, to the Faculty of the Graduate College 
of The State University of Iowa, and upon the recommen- 
dation of Professor Frederick E. Bolton, Head of the 



INTRODUCTION 3 

Department o£ Education, was accepted in partial fulfill- 
ment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Phi- 
losophy. 

Acknowledgments and sincere thanks are due to Profes- 
sor Bolton for numerous and helpful suggestions in this 
study, and in a far deeper sense for a view of the field 
and possibilities of education which have been chiefly instru- 
mental in forming the writer's determination to devote his 
life to educational work. Acknowledgment is due Pro- 
^iesBor Benjamin F. Shambaugh, Head of the Department 
of Political Science in The State University of Iowa, who 
has kindly assisted in securing access to much of the mate- 
rial used and in editing and preparing the manuscript for 
the press. 

Hugh S. Buffum 
The State Usiteksitt of Iowa 
Iowa Citt 



PART I 



FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

Federal aid to education in Iowa has been extended 
chiefly through land grants. But some aid has also been 
received through means other than grants of land. And 
so, following a discussion of the several land grants, some 
consideration will be given to the other means of extending 
aid to education in Iowa. 

FEDERAL LAND GRANTS 

From an early date the Federal government has contrib- 
uted materially to the encouragement and development of 
public schools and of other educational agencies. When 
the nation was still in its infancy, before the adoption of the 
Federal Constitution, the spirit which has resulted in such 
activity was already manifest. In the days when the 
supreme law of the land was embodied in the Articles of 
Confederation the central government was already inter- 
esting itself in laying foundations for the education of the 
masses. The Congress, engrossed as it was with the solu- 
tion of an almost countless number of problems growing 
out of its own lack of power, of inter-State struggles, and 
of dangers from foreign forces, yet kept in view the idea 



FEDERAL LAND GRANTS 5 

that the advancement of education was one of the important 
functions of the central government. Thus deeply in the 
very foundations of our national government were also laid 
the foundations of Federal encouragement and Federal aid 
to popular education. 

Federal aid to education has been rendered chiefly by the 
granting of tracts of land belonging to the nation at large. 
At the close of the Revolution, the large extent of land 
lying between the Ohio and Mississippi rivers was claimed 
by several of the States. Massachusetts, Connecticut, New 
York, and Virginia each claimed a part, or in some cases all, 
of this territory. These conflicting claims bade fair to be 
the cause of feelings of strife and hatred, if not, indeed, of 
actual warfare between these States. Furthermore, the claim 
was made by other States that, since this land had been 
won from England by all the States united in common war- 
fare, it should belong to all in common and not to the 
States having special claims. Maryland especially took a 
firm stand on the question, refusing to agree to the Articles 
of Confederation until title to this land had been given over 
to the Federal government.^ After a considerable time 
spent in fierce wrangling and bitter disputation the four 
States gave up their several claims, and the western frontier, 
known as the Northwest Territory, became and was gener- 
ally recognized as a part of the national domain. 

It was in the establishment and adjustment of means for 
the control and disposal of the Northwest Territory that the 
first indications are seen of the nation's policy regarding the 



1 Johns Hopkins University Studies in History and Political Science, Vol. IX, p. 
107, et seq. 



6 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

encouragement and development of education as a function 
of the general government. In April, 1784, a plan for sur- 
veying and selling the lands of the Northwest Tenitory was 
introduced into Congress by Thomas Jefferson. His plan 
was not adopted. But in the following year another plan 
was introduced, containing some of the essential features 
presented by Jefferson, and it was referred to a committee 
for consideration. This committee presented to Congress 
a measure which, after a month's debate and after being 
amended in many respects, was adopted by Congress, May 
20, 1785, under the title of "An ordinance for ascertaining 
the mode of disposing of lands in the Western Territory."^ 
This ordinance provided for the manner in which disposal 
could be made of such territory, ceded by the individual 
States to the United States, as had been purchased of the 
Indian tribes. 

To accomplish this purpose it was necessary for the land 
to be surveyed. Accordingly a surveyor from each State 
was to be appointed by Congress or by a committee of the 
States. These surveyors were to divide the territory into 
townships six miles square, by lines running due north and 
south, and others crossing these at right angles, except 
where boundaries of Indian purchases might render it 
impracticable, and in such cases there was to be departure 
from this rule no farther than such particular circumstances 
might requu-e. These lines were to be described exactly on 
a plat, on which were also to be noted by the surveyors all 
mines, salt-springs, salt-licks, and mill-seats coming to their 
knowledge. The plats of the townships, respectively, were 

^ Journals of Congress, Vol. IV, pp. 520-522. 



FEDERAL LAND GRANTS 7 

to be marked by subdivisions into lots of one mile square, 
or six hundred and forty acres, in the same direction as the 
external lines, and numbered from one to thirty-six; and 
where (from the above mentioned causes) only a fractional 
part of a townshij) should be surveyed the lots protracted 
thereon were to bear the same numbers as if the townships 
had been entire. This ordinance, having thus directed the 
surveying of the land, proceeded to make the pi'ovision 
which gives to the ordinance its chief interest from the 
standpoint of education. The exact words of this provision 
are: "There shall be reserved the lot No. 16, of every 
township, for the maintenance of public schools, within the 
said township."^ 

Thus the foundation was laid for the policy of aiding 
schools by means of land grants, which has continued down 
to the present time. In accordance with the policy thus 
inaugurated the Federal government has granted to the vari- 
ous States and Territories many millions of acres of land 
for public schools. Acting on this policy, the United 
States has granted to every State entering the Union pre- 
vious to August 14, 1848,2 ^ijg sixteenth section of each 
township to be used for public schools; while every State 
entering the Union since that date has received the six- 
teenth and thirty-sixth sections for such purpose.^ 

About two and one-half years later the Continental Con- 
gress again adopted measures relating to education. Indeed, 
two legislative enactments now followed in the spirit of the 



' Journals of Congress, Vol. IV, p. •521. 

" Date of passage of an act to establish the Territorial government of Oregon. 

^Report of the Commissioner of Education, 1880, pp. xxix-xxx. 



8 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

Land Ordinance of 1785. In the first of these educational 
matters were dealt with in general terms; while in the 
second, specific statements were used. 

On July 18, 1787, Congress adopted "An Ordinance for 
the Government of the Territory of the United States, 
northwest of the river Ohio."^ This is the measure popu- 
larly spoken of as the "Ordinance of 1787." In the third 
article, this ordinance declares that "Religion, morality and 
knowledge, being necessary to good government and the 
happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education 
shall forever be encouraged." We have here a general 
statement of the position which the Federal government 
then took and has since continued to hold with regard to 
education. Support of schools was not among the powers 
granted by the Articles of Confederation, yet here is the 
statement that by the United States "schools and the means 
of education shall forever be encouraged." Although the 
States were, and ever have been, jealously watching the 
Federal government, fearing that it would appropriate to 
itself power belonging to the States, yet the Federal policy 
of encouraging and aiding education has never been ques- 
tioned or objected to. 

Ten days after the passage of the Ordinance of 1787, 
Congress, on July 23, 1787, enacted a measure making 
specific provision for grants of land for the support of edu- 
cation. ^ It granted certain "powers to the Board of Treas- 
ury to contract for the sale of the Western Territory." 
The Board of Treasury was in fact empowered and author- 



1 Journals of Congress, Vol. IV, pp. 752-754. 

' Journals of Congress, Vol. IV, Appendix, pp. 17, 18. 



FEDERAL LAND GRANTS 9 

ized to contract with any person or persons for a grant of a 
tract of land within the western territory of the nation. 
Within seven years after the completion of the surveying of 
this tract the purchasers were to lay off the whole tract into 
townships and fractional parts of townships and divide the 
same into lots according to the Land Ordinance of 1785. In 
any tract of land conveyed under this measure, the lot No. 
16 in each township or fractional part of a township was to 
be given perpetually to the purpose contained in the Land 
Ordinance, namely, "the maintenance of public schools 
within the said township." A further provision of this 
Ordinance was that there were to be given not more than 
two complete townships to be used perpetually for the pur- 
poses of a university. This land was to be laid ojff by the 
purchaser or purchasers, as near as might be to the center of 
the tract, so that the same should be good land. It was to 
be applied to its intended object by legislation of the State. 

This latter enactment is of especial interest from the fact 
that it not only is based upon and puts into definite oper- 
ation the policy of granting the sixteenth section in each 
township for public schools, but it also marks the beginning 
of the policy of Federal land grants for founding and sup- 
porting universities. Here were first sown the seeds from 
which was destined to spring the present great tree of State 
University education, which to-day gives of its abundant 
and incomparable fruit to thousands of the nation's citi- 
zens. Here the government said that not only common 
but also higher education is rightly to be encouraged by the 
national government. 

Such were the beginnings of the policy of Federal aid to 



10 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

education by means of land grants. This policy, moreover, 
has been followed, to a greater or less degree, and with 
some variations, in every State admitted to the Union and 
in every Territory organized since the adoption of the Fed- 
eral Constitution; and for agricultural colleges or other 
educational agencies it has been extended to the thirteen 
original States as well. 

The fruits of this Federal policy have been enjoyed by 
Iowa, which has received grants at different times and for 
various purposes. In addition to tracts of land donated 
specifically for aid to education, this State has received land 
grants made by Congress for other purposes and afterward 
turned over by the State to educational agencies. The sev- 
eral Federal land grants made to Iowa for education, or 
made with other ends in view and afterward diverted to 
educational purposes, are as follows: — 

1. The Sixteenth Section Grant. 

2. The Five Hundred Thousand Acre Grant. 

3. The University Grant. 

4. The Agricultural College Grant. 

5. The Saline Land Grant. 

6. The Five Section Grant. 

7. The Swamp Land Grant. 

It is the intention to notice in the following pages 
when, how, and for what purposes these grants were made; 
by whom cared for and sold; how much money has been 
received therefrom (in so far as may be ascertained); and 
how much, if any, of these lands yet remain unsold. Infor- 
mation as to these matters has been obtained chiefly by an 
examination of laws and resolutions passed by the State or 



THE SIXTEENTH SECTION GRANT H 

tlie Territorial legislatures; from acts passed by the national 
Congress, in so far as these acts pertain to land grants made 
to Iowa alone or io Iowa along with other States; from 
reports of the State Auditors, Treasurers, and Superintend- 
ents of Public Instruction in Iowa; and from several less 
extensive general and special repoi'ts pertaining to educa- 
tion in Iowa. The amount, care, and expenditure of the 
funds arising from the sale of these land grants are being 
worked out in another study which it is hoped will be pub. 
lished in the near future. 

THE SIXTEEKTH SECTION GRANT 

In the foregoing pages it is shown how, during the 
period of the Confederation, the national government de- 
clared its j)olicy of reserving the sixteenth section in each 
township for the suj^port of schools. Sharing in this Fed- 
eral aid, the State of Iowa received land for establishing 
and maintaining common schools. The grant to Iowa was 
made by an act of Congress, approved March 3, 184.5 — the 
act preliminary to Iowa's admission into the Union. ^ Therein 
certain propositions were laid down by the national govern- 
ment, which if accepted by the State legislature, were to 
become obligatory upon the United States. The first of 
these propositions was that "section numbered sixteen in 
every township of the public land, and, where such section 
has been sold or otherwise disposed of, other lands equiva- 
lent thereto, and as contiguous thereto as may be, shall be 
granted to the State for the use of schools. " 

This proposition, together with others laid down by the 

1 United States Statutes at Large, Vol. V, pp. 789-790; reprinted in Sliam- 
baugh's Documentary Material Relating to the History of Iowa, Vol. I, pp. 125-128. 



12 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

act, was accepted by an act of the General Assembly 
approved January 15, 1849.^ 

Morever, the Constitution under which Iowa became a 
State declares that "the General Assembly shall encourage, 
by all suitable means, the promotion of intellectual, scien- 
tific, moral, and agricultural improvement. The proceeds 
of all lands that have been or hereafter may be granted by 
the United States to this State, for the support of schools, 
which shall hereafter be sold or disposed of, ... . shall be 
and remain a perpetual fund, the interest of which, together 

with all the rents of the unsold lands, shall be 

inviolably appropriated to the support of common schools 
throughout the State. " ^ Almost exactly these same words 
were also incorporated in Article IX (second part) section 3, 
of the new Constitution,^ adojjted by the Constitutional 
Convention, March 5, 1857, approved by vote of the people 
of the State, August 3, 1857, and announced as the supreme 
law of the Commonwealth by Governor Grimes in a procla- 
mation issued September 3, 1857.* Thus Iowa accepted 
the Sixteenth Section Grant, and took upon itself the 
responsibility of wisely caring for and administering it to 
the purposes for which it had been made. 

In southeastern Iowa, a tract of land containing about one 
hundred and thirteen thousand acres, and known as the Half- 
Breed Tract had been granted, in 1834, to half-breeds of the 

1 Laws of Iowa, 1848, pp. 121-122; see also Shambaugh's Documentary Material 
Relating to the History of Iowa, Vol. I, pp. 131, 132. 

2 Article X, Sec. 2— See Laws of Iowa, 1840, p. 13. 
^Journal of the Constitutional Convention [Appendix], p. 21. 

* Shambaugh's Messages and Proclamations of the Governors of Iowa, Vol. II, 
p. 109. 



THE SIXTEENTH SECTION GRANT 13 

Sac and Fox Indians. As this land had been granted to the 
Indians in fee-simple, the sixteenth section of the townships 
therein could not be reserved for school purposes. It was 
to make good to the State the loss of school lands in this 
tract that Congress enacted, August 23, 1842, a measure to 
authorize the selection of school lands in lieu of those granted 
to the half-breeds of the Sac and Fox Indians. By this 
act it was provided that ' ' the commissioners of the county of 
Lee, in the Territory of Iowa, be, and they are hereby, 
authorized to select, of any of the public lands of the United 
States subject to private entry within the Iowa Territory, 
one section for each entire township of land in the 'half- 
breed tract,' in said county, and a proportional quantity for 
each fractional township in said county, under such rules and 
regulations as shall be prescribed by the Secretary of the 
Treasury; which land, when selected, shall be subject to the 
same rules and regulations as the sixteenth sections in all the 
townships of the public lands are subject."^ Thus the State 
was compensated for what would have otherwise been a loss 
of some of its public school lands. 

Furthermore, in some other parts of the Territory the 
sixteenth section had been settled, and so could not be de- 
voted to the use of schools without great injustice to the 
settlers and almost endless litigation on the part of the 
government. To obviate this difficulty and still provide 
for the State's obtaining its full and just amount of land, 
Congress enacted, June 15, 1844, that "whenever the six- 
teenth section in said Territories [Iowa and Florida] either 
in whole or in part, are now, or may hereafter be, included 

1 United States Statutes at Large, Vol. V, p. 522. 



14 



FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 



in private claims held by titles confirmed or legally decided 
to be valid and sufficient, other lands equivalent thereto, 
within any land district in said Territories most adjacent to 
said lands so taken up by private claims, vphich have been 
offered at public sale, and remain unsold, may be selected in 
lieu thereof, under the direction of the Secretary of the 
Treasury, and the lands so selected shall be entered in the 
office of the register of the land district in which they may 
lie, and be by such register reported to the Commissioner of 
the General Land Office as school lands selected under this 
act."i 

In consequence of the Sixteenth Section Grant there were 
turned over to the State of Iowa, to be used in support of 
the common schools, 1,014,331.05 acres of land. The loca- 
tion of this land, with the number of acres in each county, 
is shown by the following table:- 



COUNTY 


NO. OF ACBE8 


COUNTY 


NO. OF ACRES 


Adair . . . 


10,240.00 


Butler . . . 


10,240.00 


Adams . . . 


7,680.00 


Calhoun . . 


10,240.00 


Allamakee . . 


11,520.00 


Carroll . . 


10,240.00 


Appanoose . 


10,240.00 


Cass . . . 


10,240.00 


Audubon . . 


7,680.00 


Cedar . . . 


10,240.00 


Benton . . . 


12,800.00 


Cerro Gordo . 


10,240.00 


Black Hawk 


10,240.00 


Cherokee . . 


10,240.00 


Boone . . . 


10,240.00 


Chickasaw 


7,680.00 


Bremer . . . 


7,680.00 


Clarke . . . 


7,680.00 


Buchanan 


10,240.00 


Clay . . . 


10,240.00 


Buena Vista . 


10,240.00 


Clayton . . 


13,715.08 



1 United States Statutes at Large, Vol. V, p. 666. 

' Report of the Secretary of State (Land Department), 1903, pp. 



6-7. 



THE SIXTEENTH SECTION GRANT 



15 



conuTT 


NO. OF ACRES 


COUNTY 


NO. OF ACRES 


Clinton 


13,016.77 


Lee .... 


9,904.45 


Crawford 






12,800.00 


Linn 






12,800.00 


Dallas 






10,240.00 


Louisa . 






7,438.35 


Davis . . 






10,240.00 


Lucas . 






7,680.00 


Decatur . 






10,240.00 


Lyon 






11,520.00 


Delaware . 






10,240.00 


Madison 






10,240.00 


Des Moines 






7,392.81 


Mahaska 






10,240.00 


Dickinson 






7,680.00 


Marion 






10,240.00 


Dubuque . 






11,364.00 


Marshall 






10,240.00 


Emmet 








7,680.00 


Mills . 






8,000.00 


Fayette 








12,800.00 


Mitchell 






10,240.00 


Floyd . 








7,680.00 


Monona 






13,228.74 


Franklin 








10,240.00 


Monroe 






7,680.00 


Fremont 








10,080.00 


Montgomery 




7,680.00 


Greene 








10,240.00 


Muscatine 




7,936.83 


Grundy 








8,960.00 


O'Brien . 




10,240.00 


Guthrie 








10,240.00 


Osceola 




7,680.00 


Hamilton 








10,240.00 


Page . . 




10,240.00 


Hancock 








10,240.00 


Palo Alto . 




10,240.00 


Hardin 








10,240.00 


Plymouth 




15,322.65 


Harrison 








12,234.17 


Pocahontas 




10,240.00 


Henry 








7,680.00 


Polk . . 




10,240.00 


Howard 








10,240.00 


Pottawattamie 




17,658.46 


Humboldt 








7,680.00 


Poweshiek 




10,240.00 


Ida . 








7,680.00 


Ringgold . 




10,240.00 


Iowa . 








10,240.00 


Sac . . 






10,240.00 


Jackson 








11,143.22 


Scott . 






8,632.67 


Jasper 








12,800.00 


Shelby 






10,240.00 


Jefferson 








7,680.00 


Sioux . 






14,116.07 


Johnson 








10,880.00 


Story . 






10,240.00 


Jones . 








10,240.00 


Tama . 






12,800.00 


Keokuk 








10,240.00 


Taylor 






10,240.00 


Kossuth 








17,920.00 


Union . 






7,680.00 



16 



FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 



COUNTY 


NO. or ACKES 


COUNTY 


NO. OF ACKES 


Van Buren . . 


9,146.78 


Winnebago 


7,680.00 


Wapello . . . 


7,680.00 


Winneshiek . 


12,800.00 


Warren . . . 


10,240.00 


Woodbury 


15,680.00 


Washington 


10,240.00 


Worth . . . 


7,680.00 


Wayne . . . 


10,240.00 
12,800.00 


Wright . . 
Total . . 


10,240.00 


Webster . . . 


1,014,331.05 



Relative to the number of acres included and actually re- 
ceived by the State under the Sixteenth Section Grant, Frank 
D. Jackson, Secretary of State, in his report for the bi- 
ennial period ending June 30, 1889, says: "The quantity 
received by the State under the sixteenth section grant has 
been given in the reports of the State land department, here- 
tofore issued, as 1,013,614.21 acres. By a careful footing 
of the quantities of the sections and fractional sections re- 
ceived under the grant as they are given on the government 
plats in the office, I find that there are of the lands in place, 
1,002,441.24 acres, and of the lands given in lieu, 11,889.81 
acres, making in all, 1,014,331.05 acres. However, it ap- 
pears that a considerable quantity of these lands has disap- 
peared by encroachments of the Mississippi and Missouri 
rivers. In one instance a full half-section — 320 acres — in 
Fremont county, has been washed away, so that the quantity, 
as originally given, is now, perhaps, very nearly the true 
quantity."^ 

This grant having been made, upon the State devolved 
the duty of caring for and disposing of the land thus granted, 
and of seeing that the funds accruing from it should be 
applied to the purposes set forth in the Congressional act 



1 Beport of the Secretary of State (Land Department), 1889, p. 6. 



THE SIXTEENTH SECTION GRANT 17 

making the grant. Accordingly, on February 25, 1847, an 
act of the legislature was approved to meet this requirement.^ 
This act provided that the Trustees of the several townships 
in the counties of the State should examine in their respect- 
ive townships the sixteenth section, or lands granted in lieu 
thereof, and allot this land into parcels such as they thought 
would best suit purchasers and would best advance the 
interests of the school fund, conforming as far as they 
thought best to the legal sub-divisions made by the United 
States surveys. They were to place upon each parcel a 
value, not to be less than one dollar and twenty-five cents 
per acre, if the parcel were not settled upon. But if any 
person should have settled and made improvements on the 
sixteenth section previous to its survey, he was to notify the 
County Fund Commissioner of that fact. The settler then 
was to select one appraiser, the Commissioner a second, and, 
if necessary to an agreement, these two might choose a third. 
These appraisers were to appraise first the land, exclusive of 
the improvements, and then the improvements by them- 
selves. The occupant was to be permitted to purchase the 
land at its approved value, if he should do so within ten 
days after the appraisal. In the case of his failure to pur- 
chase it within ten days, the land was to be offered at pubEc 
sale to the highest bidder, the selling price being not less 
than the appraised value. The purchaser was then to pay 
the former occupant cash for the improvements on the land 
to the amount of the appraised value of such improvements. 
In case the land thus offered for sale to the highest bidder 
was not sold, the former occupant could remain upon it by 

1 Laws of Iowa, 1847, pp. 160-164. 



18 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

paying annually to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, 
for the use of the school fund, interest on the appraised 
value of the land and the improvements together at the rate 
of ten per cent per annum from the day the State of Iowa 
was admitted into the Union until the sale of land as pro- 
vided above. 

Lands not previously settled upon were by this act placed 
in the hands of the Fund Commissioners of the various 
counties. These Commissioners, having received from the 
Township Trustees the allotment and appraisement of any or 
all of the sixteenth sections within their respective counties, 
or land granted in lieu thereof, were to give thirty days' 
notice by written or printed advertisements in three of the 
most public places of the county, and one in the township 
in which the land was situated, and then sell the land to the 
highest and best bidder. One-fourth of the purchase money 
was to be paid in advance, and the balance could be paid on a 
credit not exceeding ten years, bearing interest at the rate of 
ten per cent per annum from date of sale until paid — the 
interest to be paid annually at the office of the Fund Com- 
missioner. Or, if the purchaser so desired, he could pay the 
entire amount in advance. In case of the payment of the 
entire amount, the Commissioner was to give the purchaser 
a certificate of purchase, which entitled him to a patent to be 
issued by the Governor of the State. In the case of lands 
purchased upon a partial credit, a written contract signed by 
the parties was to be filed and recorded in the Commisioner's 
office, and during the continuance of such contract it should 
be lawful for the purchaser or his assignees to pay the 
principal and interest due on the contract, and receive a cer- 



THE SIXTEENTH SECTION GRANT 19 

tificate of purchase entitling him to a patent from the 
Governor. 

In order to make the date for the payment of interest the 
same in all cases, all contracts were to make January 1, 
following the pm-chase, the day for the first payment of 
interest, and payment was to be annual thereafter. If inter- 
est were not paid when due, the Commissioner could either 
declare the contract forfeited, or collect the interest by suit. 

In the case of lands of which the chief value consisted in 
the timber thereon, or of which the value was in any way 
liable to be considerably reduced, it was made lawful for the 
Fund Commissioner to demand entire payment in advance, 
or to demand good collateral security for the payment of 
purchase money not paid in cash at the time of sale. 

The act provided that the Fund Commissioner should 
keep a record of all his transactions. 

Eleven months later, January 24, 1848, this law was 
amended by an act of the State legislature, providing that 
the rights and privileges conferred upon the settlers of the 
sixteenth sections of the public lands should also be enjoyed 
by the assignees or legal representatives of these settlers.^ 
All persons who had settled or should thereafter settle upon 
the sixteenth sections, after they had been surveyed, should 
enjoy the same rights as those settling thereon before the 
survey, except that these latter settlers, claiming the right 
of preemption, should pay an advance of fifty per cent over 
and above the appraised value of the land in its unimproved 
state. 

On January 25, 1848, the original act for the manage- 

• Laws of Iowa (Extra Session), 1848, pp. 59-60. 



20 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

ment and disposal of the common school lands and fund was 
further amended, in that it was enacted that the ten per cent 
interest, payable on the unpaid portion of the valuation of 
lands sold partly on time, should be paid to the Fund Com- 
missioner of the county rather than to the Superintendent 
of Public Instruction.^ 

In an act approved January 15, 1849, devoted chiefly to 
the selection and disposal of the Five Hundred Thousand 
Acre Grant, the Sixteenth Section Grant was also briefly 
considered. 2 It was there provided that if at any time it 
appeared to the Fund Commissioners that the school fund 
was liable to be injured by putting any portion of the 
sixteenth section on the market, they should have power to 
reserve the same. Provision was also made for the visiting 
of the several counties by the Superintendent of Public 
Instruction. Such visits were for the purpose of inspecting 
the books of the Fund Commissioners and making such 
adjustments of the school funds as were necessary to best 
carry out the desire of the General Assembly. The Super- 
intendent, however, was not to have control of any of the 
funds in the hands of the Commissioners unless the General 
Assembly should specifically so enact. 

Provision was also made by this act for resurveying 
school lands in case of such necessity. It was provided 
that no person should be allowed to preempt more than 
one hundred and sixty acres. The Fund Commissioner was 
required to report to the Prosecuting Attorney of the 
county the name of any person delinquent in the payment 

' Laws of Iowa (Extra Session), 18-18, p. 62. 
« Laws of Iowa, 1848, p. 151. 



THE SIXTEENTH SECTION GRANT 21 

of interest due on any loan of a portion of the school fund, 
and the Prosecuting Attorney was to immediately begin 
action for collecting such interest. 

The sixteenth section school lands remained under the 
control of the Fund Commissioners until the General Assem- 
bly abolished the office by an act approved March 23, 1858.^ 
The lands were then placed in the hands of the County 
Judge and Township Trustees. A reajspraisement of the 
sixteenth section lands was to place the true value upon 
each parcel, this value not to be less than two dollars and 
fifty cents per acre. This appraisement, made by the Town- 
ship Trustees, was to be reported to the County Judge. He 
might either approve it or direct a new appraisal. Then 
the Judge and the Township Trustees were to meet and 
determine upon the advisability of selling part or all of the 
land. The manner of advertising and selling that which 
they should determine to sell was specified by this act. It 
diifered but little in essential details from the plan formerly 
followed by the Fund Commissioner. The provision was 
made that no sale could be effected for less than the newly 
appraised valuation. 

Another act, "providing for the management of the 
School Fund and the sale of the School Lands," was passed 
April 3, 1860, j^utting the control of the sixteenth section 
lands into the hands of the Boards of Supervisors of the 
several counties and the Township Trustees.- It provided 
for the appraisement of school lands by the Trustees, but 
did not specify any minimum valuation. It simply required 



1 Laws of Iowa, 1858, pp. 393-396. 

' Laws of Iowa (Revision of 1860), p. 350. 



22 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

them to "appraise each tract at what they believe to be its 
true value." 

In his annual report for 1863, J. A. Harvey, Register of 
the State Land Office, pointed out this shortcoming and sug- 
gested a remedy for it, saying: "I desire to call attention to 
the appraisement of this land. Never, under any of the 
previous laws, could either this or any School Land be 
valued or purchased at less than $1.25 per acre. But under 
the law now in force, the Township Trustees, in appraising 
the 16th section lands, 'shall appraise each tract at what 
they believe to be its true value,' etc. There is no mini- 
mum for the valuation. Under this law, some of the school 
lands in Butler county have been appraised and sold as low 
as twenty-five cents per acre. There is very little of the 
school lands in this State that is not worth at least $1.25 
per acre, whilst the most of it is worth more; and the policy 
of permitting it to be sold for less, appears to me at least 
very doubtful."^ 

In response to this suggestion the legislature, by an act 
approved March 29, 1864, enacted that "hereafter no school 
lands shall be sold for less than one dollar and twenty- 
five cents per acre. "^ 

During the next few years it became still more clearly 
evident that school land was being sold for less than its true 
value, and that some steps must be taken to stop it. Ac- 
cordingly, on January 24, 1870, the legislature passed a 
joint resolution to the effect that all unsold school lands in 
the State of Iowa should be withdrawn from the market 



1 Report of the Register oj the State Land Office, 1863, p. 7. 
'■^ Laws of Iowa, 1864, p. 152. 



THE SIXTEENTH SECTION GRANT 23 

until the first day of the following March, that is, March 1, 
1870.1 On March 21, 1870, a law was approved to the effect 
that no part of the sixteenth section, nor lands selected in lieu 
thereof, nor any part of the Five Hundred Thousand Acre 
Grant, nor any other school lands whatsoever should be sold 
for less than a minimum price of six dollars per acre. The 
act provided, however, that if the Board of Supervisors had 
offered for sale, according to law, any school lands, and had 
been unable to sell them for as much as six dollars per acre, 
and if the Board thought that it would be impossible to get 
as much as six dollars per acre for such lands, and thought 
that it would be to the best interests of the school fund to 
sell for less than that price, the Board could instruct the 
County Auditor to transmit to the Kegister of the State 
Land Office a copy of the proceedings of the Board relative 
to the lands in question. The Register of the State Land 
Office would then submit this transcript to the State Census 
Board, and a majority of that Board, including the Register 
of the Land Office, could allow and order the sale of such 
land for a price less than six dollars per acre. But under 
such circumstances no land was to be sold for a price less 
than one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. This act 
also provided that no school lands should be sold in any 
Congressional township until there were at least twenty-five 
legal voters resident in such township, or in a fractional 
township, until there were legal voters residing in it, the 
number of whom was such a fraction of twenty-five as the 
number of sections was of thirty-six.^ 

1 Laws of Iowa, 1870, p. 241. 
« Laws of Iowa, 1870, pp. 28-30. 



24 



FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 



Since the passage of this act no considerable change has 
been made in the manner of care or disposal of the sixteenth 
section lands. The County Board of Supervisors, with the 
cooperation and through the immediate agency of the Town- 
ship Trustees, now have charge of the small quantity of this 
land which yet remains unsold or unpatented. 

Of the lands received by Iowa under the Sixteenth Sec- 
tion Grant over a million acres have been sold and patented. 
Because of irregularities on the part of Fund Commissioners 
and others in the keeping of records, it is difficult to give 
exact figures as to the amounts of this land patented during 
the successive biennial periods. The biennial reports of the 
Register of the State Land Office give, perhaps, the most 
reliable records obtainable, although there are numerous 
inconsistencies in the figures presented in those reports. 
From this source have been gathered the data set forth in the 
following table: — 



NO. OF 
ACEE8 PATENTED 

121, 922.70 

50,044.64 
36,463.20 
26,526.47 
19,164.35 

35,528.70 
61,086.55 
99,907.64 
50,074.76 
69,225.15 
51,431.79 
40,508.28 



TABLE II 


DATE 


OF REPORT 


May 14, 1855 . . . . 


November 14, 1856 




December 1, 1857 




January 1, 1859 




November 7, 1859 . 




November 6, 1861 . 




November 15, 1863 




November 16, 1865, 




November 12, 1867 




November 10, 1869 




November 1, 1871 . 




November 1, 1873 . 





THE SIXTEENTH SECTION GRANT 



25 



DATE 








NO. OF 


OF REPORT ACRES PATENTED 


November 1, 1875 .... 53,134.77 


October 1, 1877 






44,558.38 


October 1, 1879 






40,421.48 


October 1, 1881 








33,400.70 


July 1, 1883 








28,234.76 


July 1, 1885 








22,258.81 


July 1, 1887 . 








20,464.00 


July 1, 1889 . 








22,313.90 


June 30, 1891 








27,133.10 


June 30, 1893 








20,172.02 


July 1, 1895 . 








10,191.79 


July 1, 1897 . 








7,208.46 


July 1, 1899 . 








5,962,105 


July 1, 1901 








7,676.30 


June 30, 1903 








1,566.00 


June 30, 1905 








1,100.28 


Amount patented 


1,007,631.085 


Amount unpatented June 30, 1905 


14,685.535 


Total .... 


1,022,316.62 


Error or duplication 


7,985.57 


Total amount of s'rant 


1,014,331.05 



Although the number of acres unpatented is reported as 
14,685.53, only 1,160 acres remained unsold at the date of 
the report of the State Land Office for 1905. 

It would be almost if not quite impossible to ascertain 
just how much money has been received for the lands 
received by Iowa under the Sixteenth Section Grant. The 
price which generally prevailed before 1870 was one dollar 
and twenty-five cents per acre. Most of that sold since the 
law passed in March, 1870, has brought a higher price — but 



26 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

comparatively little selling for less than tlie six dollars per 
acre there set down as a minimum price. But it is impos- 
sible to state the average or general price received for this 
land. Neither can the total amount received for sixteenth 
section land be determined exactly. The money received 
from this source was put in with money received from other 
sources and became a part of the Permanent School Fund 
of Iowa. It is not the province of this paper to discuss 
that fund. It suffices here to say that the original purpose 
of the grant has been and is being carried out in the encour- 
agement and support of common schools throughout the 
State, albeit the lands were not always wisely and advan- 
tageously disposed of. 

THE FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND ACRE GRANT 

The Five Hundred Thousand Acre Grant was not origi- 
nally intended for educational purposes, but was made to aid 
the State in making certain internal improvements. Indeed, 
the act of Congress making this grant specifically stated 
that the proceeds derived from the lands thus granted 
should be used for "roads, railways, bridges, canals, and 
improvement of water courses, and drainage of swamps." 
But the makers of Iowa, with the wisdom which character- 
izes many of their acts, decided to use it for educational 
purposes. And so the Five Hundred Thousand Acre 
Grant became, in effect, an educational grant. 

In an act to appropriate the proceeds of the sales of the 
public lands and to grant preemption rights, Congress, on 
September 4, 1841, granted to Iowa, as well as to each of 
several other States, five hundred thousand acres of land for 



FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND ACRE GRANT 27 

purposes of internal improvements. This land was to be 
selected within the State, in such manner as the legislature 
should direct. It was to be in parcels of not less than three 
hundred and twenty acres in any one place, and these par- 
cels were to conform to sectional divisions and sub-divisions. 
The act provided that this land should not be disposed of 
at a less price than one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, 
unless afterward authorized by Federal law. As stated 
above, the net proceeds of the sale of this land were to 
be applied to objects of improvements within the State, 
namely; roads, railways, bridges, canals and improvement 
of water courses, and draining of swamps. These internal 
improvements were to be and remain free for the transpor- 
tation of the United States mail, and munitions of war, and 
for the passage of their troops, without the payment of 
any tolls. ^ 

The provisions of this act pertained to several States 
that were at that time (1841) in the Union, and were to 
apply to all which should enter the Union at a subsequent 
date. Consequently, Iowa upon her admission into the 
sisterhood of States in 1846 was entitled to receive this 
grant of five hundred thousand acres of land for internal 
improvements. 

In the Constitution with which Iowa became a State was 
the proviso that the proceeds of this land should be diverted 
from the original purpose of internal improvements, and 
that such proceeds should "be and remain a perpetual fund, 
the interest of which, together with all the rents of the 
unsold lands, and such other means as the General Assem- 



Unittd States Statutes at Large, Vol. V, p. 455. 



28 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

bly may provide, sliall be inviolably appropriated to tlie 
support of common schools throughout the State." ^ 

In the act of Congress admitting Iowa into the Union, 
December 28, 1846, consent was given to this diversion of 
the Five Hundred Thousand Acre Grant to educational pur- 
poses.^ 

There seems, however, to have been some question as to 
whether this diversion had been legally and conclusively 
made; for on March 2, 1849, Congress passed another act 
"declaratory of the Act for the Admission of the State of 
Iowa into the Union." In this measure it was declared that 
"by the act entitled 'An Act for the admission of the State 
of Iowa into the Union,' approved December Twenty-eighth, 
Eighteen Hundred and Forty-six, the United States assented 
to the application for the support of common schools, 

of the five hundred thousand acres of land granted to 

said State by the act of the fourth of September, Eighteen 
Hundred and Forty-one; said land to be selected in legal 
subdivisions of not less than three hundred and twenty 
acres." ^ 

This land having been granted, the problem of selecting 
and locating the various tracts was taken up by the General 
Assembly. By an act approved February 25, 1847, the 
First General Assembly attempted to provide for the selec- 
tion of the land constituting the Five Hundred Thousand 
Aci'e Grant. It was enacted that any person capable of con- 
tracting, who had settled upon any public lands, might sig- 

1 Constitution of Iowa, 1846, Article X, section 2 — may be found in Laws of 
Iowa, 1846, pp. 1-17. 

- United States Statutes at Large, Vol. IX, p. 117. 
' United States Statutes at Large, Vol. IX, p. 349. 



FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND ACRE GRANT 29 

signify in writing to the Fund Commissioner of the county 
in which the land was situated, his or her desire to have such 
land recognized as school land. Thereupon, a description of 
this land, not exceeding three hundred and twenty acres for 
any one person, together with the date of its selection, was to 
be returned by the Fund Commissioner to the Superintend- 
ent of Public Instruction, and by him be registered as land 
selected under the Five Hundred Thousand Acre Grant. 
Then the Fund Commissioner could contract with the settler 
for the sale of this land, one- fifth of the purchase money to 
be paid in advance, or within three months of the date of 
contracting, and the balance might be on a credit of not to 
exceed ten years, bearing interest at the rate of ten per cent 
per annum, payable annually at the Fund Commissioner's 
office. This law also directed that, from time to time, the 
Superintendent of Public Instruction should report all selec- 
tions made in accordance with the above provisions, to the 
Secretary of the Treasury of the United States. As soon as 
the entire five hundred thousand acres should have been 
selected, he was to give notice to the Fund Commissioners, 
who would then stop receiving selections of land to be con- 
sidered as part of this grant. 

It was provided that if more than five hundred thousand 
acres should be selected in this way, those selections last 
made by the Fund Commissioners would be rejected. And 
upon receiving notice to this effect from the Superintendent 
of Public Instruction, it was to be the duty of the Fund 
Commissioners to so notify the persons whose selections 
were rejected.^ 



' Laws of Iowa, 1840, p. 162 



30 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

The workings of this law were, however, unsatisfactory. 
After it had been in force and had been tried for about two 
years, it was supplemented by another law, approved Janu- 
ary 15, 1849, by which John M. Whitaker, of Van Buren 
County, and Robert Brown, of Jefferson County, were 
appointed agents for the selection of the remainder of the 
Five Hundred Thousand Acre Grant lands. These agents 
were directed to select the land in accordance with the in- 
structions of the Commissioner of the General Land Office, 
and report the same to the Register of the Land Office in 
whose district the selection had been made. These agents 
were to keep a correct record of the selections by them, and 
estimate the value per acre of each quarter section, and make 
a full report on the first day of the following December.^ 

These men did the work for which tliey had been 
appointed, and on September 7, 1854, the Commissioner of 
the General Land Office certified that the entire amount of 
the Five Hundred Thousand Aci'e Grant had been selected.^ 
The fact is, however, that, through the imperfect operation 
of the two laws under which the selections were made, five 
hundred thirty-five thousand, four hundred seventy-three 
and fifty-four hundredths acres were selected.^ 

The counties in which the land selected is situated, and 
the number of acres in each county, are shown in the fol- 
lowing table. Fifty-one different counties contain some 
portion of this land — the quantities ranging from 51.81 
acres in Shelby County to 70,219.53 acres in Allamakee 
County. 

» Laws of Iowa, 1848, pp. 149-151. 

" Senate Documents, 1854-1855, Vol. I, p. 73. 

» Report of the Register of the State Land Office, 1877, p. 5. 



FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND ACRE GRANT 31 

TABLE III^ 



NAME 


NO. or 


NAME 


NO. OF 


OP COtJNTT 


AGUES THEREIN 


OF COUNTY 


ACRES THEREIN 


Adair . ■ . . . 


2,391.89 


Jackson 


807.50 


Adams 






1,920.00 


Jasper . 


1,674.94 


Allamakee 






70,219.53 


Jones . . . 


29,955.50 


Appanoose 






2,400.00 


Keokuk 


670.64 


Benton 






11,791.80 


Linn 


11,016.07 


Black Hawk 






8,382.84 


Louisa . 


640.00 


Boone 






1,052.12 


Lucas . 


640.00 


Bremer 






12,159.84 


Madison . . 


9,386.02 


Buchanan 






2,485.44 


Mahaska . . 


9,227.75 


Butler 






478.51 


Marion . . 


1,414.61 


Cedar . . 






6,812.44 


Marshall . . 


6,155.86 


Chickasaw 






3,279.26 


Monroe . . 


986.57 


Clarke 






16,009.00 


Muscatine 


357.33 


Clayton . 






22,764.40 


Polk . . . 


2,425.62 


Clinton 






21,135.35 


Poweshiek 


12,715.24 


Dallas 






13,699.16 


Ringgold . . 


607.20 


Davis . . 






934.95 


Shelby . . . 


56.81 


Decatur . 






40,460.56 


Story . . . 


3,796.74 


Delaware 






11,417.19 


Tama . . . 


11,650.44 


Dubuque . 






16,114.77 


Union . 


10,738.07 


Fayette . 






30,260.21 


Wapello . . 


7,002.42 


Floyd . . 






3,481.68 


Warren . . 


5,643.97 


Hamilton 






10,314.40 


Wayne . . 


15,606.91 


Hardin 






1,360.00 


Webster . . 


18,024.06 


Harrison . 






7,524.86 


Winneshiek . 


24,447.00 


Iowa . 






23,976.07 


Total . . 


535,473.54 



In view of the fact, already mentioned above, that in 
selecting the land under this grant 35,473.54 acres in excess 
of the intended amount was selected, the General Assembly, 



^Report of the Secretary of State (Land Department), 1901, p. 13. 



32 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

on March 22, 1862, passed an act authorizing the Governor 
to reconvey to the General Government this excess of land 
selected, and then to settle and adjust with the General 
Government for the conveyance back to the State of all of 
this excess which had been sold. This act stipulated for 
the payment by the State of the money to which the 
General Government might be entitled for such land con- 
veyed back to the State. ^ This adjustment was effected by 
the State being permitted to retain the excess over the 
amount originally granted, upon the payment therefor of 
one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. The amount, 
then, received under this grant, was 535,473.54 acres, for 
35,473.54 acres of which Iowa paid one dollar and twenty- 
five cents per acre. 

The act of January 15, 1849, by which agents were 
appointed for the selection of the remainder of the Five Hun- 
dred Thousand Acre Grant, also made provision for the sale 
of this land.^ By this act the Superintendent of Public In- 
struction was given power to authorize the sale of any lands 
which the School Fund Commissioner, in any organized 
county, should select under the provisions of this act. It 
was made the duty of the agents to estimate the value per 
acre of each quarter section selected by them. When the 
Superintendent of Public Instruction should authorize the 
sale of any of this land, he was to determine upon the rate 
per acre at which it was to be sold. But this rate was not 
to be less than the estimate made by the selecting agents. 
The terms of sale remained the same as those set down by 
the act to which this one was supplemental. 

1 Laws of Iowa, 1862, p. 58. 
' Laws of Iowa, 1849, p. 150. 



THE SIXTEENTH SECTION GRANT 33 

In an act approved March 23, 1858, for the management 
of the school fund and the sale of the school land, the 
Seventh General Assembly provided that it should be the 
duty of the Register of the State Land Oflfice to transmit to 
the County Judge of each county in which there was located 
any part of the Five Hundred Thousand Acre Grant, a list 
of all such land in his county, together with the appraised 
value of each tract. This list was to state what tracts or 
parts of tracts had been sold, and what remained unsold. 
The County Judge, upon receiving this list, was to immedi- 
ately furnish to the Trustees of the several townships in this 
county correct lists of all the unsold lands of this grant in 
their respective townships. Thereafter the care and sale of 
the Five Hundred Thousand Acre Grant lands were to be in 
the hands of the County Judge and the Township Trustees.^ 

This arrangement continued for only about two years. 
The law, approved April 13, 1860, which put the sixteenth 
section lands in any county into the care of the Board of 
Supervisors and the Township Trustees, also turned over to 
these officers the Five Hundred Thousand Acre lands.^ 
Since that date these lands have been subject to the same 
rules and regulations as have the sixteenth section lands. 

This brief sketch of the history of the Five Hundred 
Thousand Acre Grant would be incomplete without at least 
a few words concerning the so-called "Des Moines River 
School Lands." The lands thus spoken of formed paii; of 
the 35,473.54 acres in excess of the 500,000 acres intended 
to be earned by the Federal grant. As part of the Five Hun- 



1 Laios of Iowa, 1858, p. 397. 

- Laws of Iowa, Revision of 1860, p. 350. 



34 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

dred Thousand Acre Grant, 12,813.51 acres of land lying 
in Hamilton and Webster counties were selected and were 
approved by the Commissioner of the General Land Office 
on February 20, 1851.^ When it was later decided that the 
Des Moines River Grant extended above the mouth of the 
Raccoon River, it was held that this land was a part of 
a grant made August 8, 1846, for the improvement of the 
Des Moines River.^ But in 1865, a later Secretary of the 
Interior affirmed that this land was a part of the Five Hun- 
dred Thousand Acre Grant. Moreover, before the ruling 
that this was Des Moines River land, three thousand acres 
had been sold as school land. Upon the former ruling of 
the Secretary of the Interior, Governor Lowe deeded this 
12,813.51 acres of land to the Des Moines Navigation and 
Railroad Company.^ To refund their outlay to the pur- 
chasers of the three thousand acres sold as school land, the 
legislature passed an act, April 2, 1860, providing that any 
purchaser of this land who should make application and 
proper showing, should be entitled to draw from the treas- 
ury of the State the amount of money paid to the Fund 
Commissioner, with interest' at the rate of ten per cent per 
annum.* The State made efforts to again get possession of 
this land after the affirmation of the Secretary of the In- 
terior that it was a part of the school lands. But the Courts 
sustained the claim of the Des Moines Navigation and Rail- 
road Company. Since this land constituted a part of the 
35,473.54 acres excess land for which the State paid one dol- 



> Journal of the House of Bepresentatives, 1854, Appendix, p. 99. 
'Report of the Register of the State Land Office, 1863, p. 17. 
» Report of the Register of the State Land Office, 1861, pp. 34-35. 
*Laws of Iowa, 1860, pp. 69-71. 



THE SIXTEENTH SECTION GRANT 



35 



lar and twenty-five cents per acre, this disputation and 
litigation do not have any real importance in their 
effect on the school fund. It is of interest as a point in the 
history of the lands granted, rather than in the history of 
the school fund. 

The following table gives the number of acres of the Five 
Hundred Thousand Acre Grant which were patented during 
each biennial period, as reported in the successive biennial 
reports of the State Land Office : 



TABLE IV 






DATE ACRES PATENTED 


OF KEPOKT DHKING BIENNIUM 


May 14, 1855 137,646.44 


November 14, 1856 








61,050.57 


December 1, 1857 








53,976.80 


January 1, 1859 








26,628.59 


November 7, 1859 








14,846.28 


November 6, 1861 








29,609.27 


November 15, 1863 








49,593.78 


November 16, 1865 








69,119.89 


November 12, 1867 








33,707.931 


November 10, 1869 








15,853.71 


November 1, 1871 








10,735.57 


November 1, 1873 








5,701.40 


November 1, 1875 








6,474.57 


October 1, 1877 








3,034.22 


October 1, 1879 








2,892.50 


October 1, 1881 








1,817.06 


July 1, 1883 








1,062.94 


July 1, 1885 








1,289.12 


July 1, 1887 








382.62 



1 The number of acres here given for the biennium ending November 12, 1867, 
was obtained by subtracting the sum of the amounts sold up to November 16, 
1865, from the total number sold at the given date. 



36 



FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 



DATE 
OF REPORT 










ACKES PATENTED 
BURINS BlENNinM 


July 1, 1889 1,165.2'7 


June 30, 1891 










817.72 


June 30, 1893 










891.21 


July 1, 1895 










523.57 


July 1, 1897 










1,265.65 


July 1, 1899 










640.00 


July 1, 1901 










400.00 


June 30, 1903 










845.04 


June 30, 1905 










170.00 


Total 


532,141.72 


Amount unpatened 








9,014.35 


Grand total 


541,156.07 


Error or duplication 








5,682.53 


Amount of grant 


535,473.54 



There is none of this grant still remaining unsold ; but the 
exact sum of money received therefrom cannot be given, nor 
can the exact average price per acre at which it was sold be 
stated. A very large part of it was sold at the minimum 
price allowed, namely, one dollar and twenty five cents per 
acre. The money as it came in was turned directly into the 
permanent school fund, and so at once began to be used for 
the purpose for which it had been diverted by the State 
Constitution. 

THE UNIVEESITY GRANT 

The policy of aiding State universities by grants of land 
has been carried out by the Federal government in most of 
the western States. While Iowa was still a Territory, 
Congress passed an act in July, 1840, "granting two town- 
ships of land for the use of a university in the Territory of 



THE UNIVERSITY GRANT 37 

Iowa." By this act the Secretary of the Treasury was 
authorized to set apart and reserve from sale out of any of 
the public lands within the Territory of Iowa to which the 
Indian title had been or might afterward be extinguished, a 
quantity of land not exceeding two entire townships. This 
land was to be for the use and support of a university 
within the Temtory when it should become a State "and 
for no other use or purpose whatsoever." It was to be 
located in tracts of not less than entire sections, correspond- 
ing with any of the legal divisions into which the public 
lands were authorized to be surveyed.^ 

This act of Congress was followed by another, approved 
March 3, 1845, which specifically granted and conveyed to 
the State the seventy-two sections of land thus set apart and 
reserved for the use and support of a university. This act 
also stipulated that the land was to be appropriated solely 
to the use and support of such university in such manner as 
the legislature might prescribe.^ 

The Second General Assembly, by a measure approved 
January 15, 1849, enacted and ordained that the propo- 
sition of Congress making this grant be accepted by the 
State of lowa.^ Thus the land and the responsibility of its 
care and disposal and the proper application of the funds 
received therefor to the support of a university devolved 
upon the State. 

In the Constitution under which Iowa was admitted into 
the Union the agreement of the State to the purpose for 
which the grant was made is expressed as follows: "The 

1 United States Statutes at Large, Vol. VI, p. 810. 

2 United States Statutes at Large, Vol. V, pp. 789-790. 
' Laws of Iowa, 1848, pp. 121-122. 



38 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

Genera] Assembly sliall take measures for the protection, 
improvement, or other disposition, of such lands as have 
been or may hereafter be reserved or granted by the United 
States, or any person or persons, to this State, for the use 
of a University; and the funds accruing from the rents 
or sale of such lands, or from any other source, for the pur- 
pose aforesaid, shall be and remain a permanent fund, the 
interest of which shall be applied to the support of said 
University, with such branches as the public convenience 
may hereafter demand, for the promotion of literature, the 
arts and sciences, as may be authorized by the terms of 
such grant. And it shall be the duty of the General 
Assembly, as soon as may be, to provide effectual means 
for the improvement and permanent security of the funds 
of said University." 1 

Thus the University Grant was accepted by the State. 
But there were some difficulties attendant upon the selection 
of the land. The act of Congress of July 20, 1840, pro- 
vided that the land granted should be selected under the 
authority of the Secretary of the Treasury. In accordance' 
with this act, the Secretary appointed William W. Dodge, 
of Scott County to make the selection. Dodge, however, 
selected only one section of land and made return of it to 
the land office at Dubuque, after which he left Iowa Terri- 
tory. Growing out of this fact, the Temtorial Council and 
House of Representatives passed a joint resolution, ap- 
proved February 16, 1844, calling upon Hon. Augustus C. 
Dodge, Delegate in Congress of the Territory of Iowa, to 
request the Secretary of the Treasuiy to appoint two suit- 

1 Laws of Iowa, 1846, p. 14. 



THE UNIVERSITY GRANT 



39 



able persons to select the remainder of the University 
Grant at as early a day as practicable. In the resolutions 
were suggested the names of L. Brown, of Dubuque County, 
and Uriah Briggs, of Van Buren County, as suitable per- 
sons to act as these sub-agents in the selection of the land. 
The joint resolution also described four small tracts, aggre- 
gating 760 acres, which the legislature desired to have 
included within the University Grant. ^ 

This joint resolution did not, however, accomplish the 
desired results, and a second joint resolution was passed 
January 2, 1846, requesting the Delegate in Congress, Hon. 
A. C. Dodge, to use his influence for the appointment of a 
suitable person to select the two townships of land granted 
to the Territory of Iowa for a university.- But it was not 
until November 19, 1856, that a cori'ect copy of the lists of 
lands selected and approved for university purposes was 
received from the General Land Office at Washington.^ 

The list of these lands, giving location by counties, is as 
follows: 



COHNTT 


NO. OF ACRES 


COUNTY 


NO. OF ACRES 


Appanoose 


640.00 


Iowa . . . 


646.65 


Boone . . . 


2,613.48 


Jasper . . . 


4,611.35 


Davis .... 


1,297.36 


Jefferson . . 


1,280.00 


Dallas . . . 


572.07 


Lucas . 


4,545.44 


Decatur . . . 


2,560.00 


Polk . . . 


5,194.19 


Hardin . . . 


10,325.54 


Scott . . . 


645.16 



'■ Laws of Iowa, 1843, p. 167. 

= Laws of Iowa, 1845-1846, p. 133. 

' Report of the Register of the State Land Office, 1857, p. 9. 

* Report of the Register of the State Land Office, 1865, p. 23. 



40 



FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 



COUNTY 


NO. OF ACKES 


COUNTY 


NO. OP ACRES 


Story .... 


5,221.40 


To be added 




Union . . . 


638.20 


for fractional 




Wapello . . . 


1,920.00 


sections taken 




Warren . . . 


3,218.00 


as full sections 
Total approved 


. . 29.10 


Total . . . 


45,928.84 


. 45,957.94 



As the amount specified in the oiiginal act of July 20, 
1840, was two townships, or 46,080 acres, there was still 
due to the State from the General Government the amount 
of 122.06 acres. Accordingly the legislature enacted a 
measure, April 7, 1862, requesting the Governor to take the 
necessary steps to obtain this remainder.^ But nothing ever 
resulted from this action, and the actual number of acres 
received under the University Grant is 45,928.84. 

In a law, approved February 25, 1847, establishing a 
State University, these two townships of land were donated 
to that institution, to become and remain a permanent fund, 
of which the interest was to be used for the suppoil; of the 
University. This act placed the land in the hands of the 
Board of Trustees of the University, to be disposed of by 
them in the same manner and under the same regulations as 
provided for the disposition of the sixteenth sections in the 
different townships.^ 

By another act, approved March 12, 1858, the State Uni- 
versity was constituted a corporation possessing all common 
law powers of corporations, as well as certain special pow- 
ers conferred upon it by this act. The two townships were 
specifically donated to the University, to constitute a per- 

1 Lavis of Iowa, 1862, p. 139. 

" Laws of Iowa, 1846, pp. 188-189. 



THE UNIVERSITY GRANT 41 

petual fund, of which the interest only might be used for 
the support of the institution. The government of the Uni- 
versity was to be vested in a Board of Trustees, consisting 
of the Chancellor of the University, the Governor of the 
State, the Superintendent of Public Instruction and twelve 
Trustees, to be elected by the General Assembly. One- 
third of these twelve Trustees — or four — were to be se- 
lected every two years, and the term of service was to be 
six years. The act provided that no sale of land should be 
made unless decided upon by the Board at a regular meet- 
ing, or one called for that purpose. The manner, length 
and form of notice, and terms of such sale were to be pre- 
scribed by the Board. No member of the Board was to be 
either directly or indirectly interested in any sale of this 
land. The Treasurer of the University was required to 
keep an accurate account of all transactions relative to the 
sale and disposal of University land. His books were to 
show what portions of the land had been sold, the price of 
each, to whom sold, how the proceeds had been invested, 
and on what securities, and the amount, situation, and value 
of any land remaining unsold.^ 

As pointed out above in the discussion of the Sixteenth 
Section Grant, certain parts of this act were declared uncon- 
stitutional, as the Board of Education and not the General 
Assembly alone had power to initiate legislation relative to 
educational institutions; while the legislature could only 
alter, amend, or repeal such enactments. In consequence 
of this declaration as to the unconstitutionality of the law, 
the Board of Education, on December 25, 1858, enacted a 



1 Laws of Iowa, 1858, pp. 83-87. 



42 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

measure incorporating the same general features — in fact, 
in large measui'e the same words were used as in the law 
which had been declared void. The chief difference be- 
tween this measure and the other was in the fact that it 
made the Board of Trustees to consist of seven persons, to 
be elected by the Board of Education. Three of these 
were to hold office for one year, and the other four for 
three years. Upon the conclusion of their respective terms 
their successors were to be selected by the Board of 
Education.^ 

In 1870, by an act approved April 11, the control and 
government of the University was placed in the hands of a 
Board of Eegents. This Board was to consist of the 
Governor of the State, who was to be ex-officio President of 
the Board, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the 
President of the University, and one person for each con- 
gressional district of the State to be elected by the General 
Assembly. The University lands were placed in the care of 
this Board of Regents under practically the same conditions 
as those under which they had previously been held while 
in the hands of the Board of Trustees.^ 

On April 14, 1886, an act became a law by which the 
President of the University was dropped from membership 
on the Board of Regents.^ Since that date no change of 
importance has been made as to the manner of control or 
disposal of the University Grant. 

The patenting of the lands comprising this grant has been 
as follows : 

1 Acts of the Board of Education, 1858, pp. 30-34. 

2 Laws of Iowa, 1870, pp. 88-93. 
'Laws of Iowa, 1886, p. 222. 



THE UNIVERSITY GRANT 



43 





TABLE 


VI 1 






DATE ACRES PATENTED 
OF KEPOET DURING BIENNIOM 


May 14, 1855 ..... 1,535.16 


November 14, 1856 








3,093.38 


December 1, 1857 








1,021.36 


January 1, 1859 . 








400.00 


November 7, 1859 








360.00 


November 6, 1861 








727.42 


November 15, 1863 








2,373.92 


November 16, 1865 








13,381.28 


November 12, 1867 








2,640.95 


November 10, 1869 








2,378.07 


November 1, 1871 








2,355.70 


November 1, 1873 








1,680.00 


November 1, 1875 








4,993.08 


October 1, 1877 . 








2,275.70 


October 1, 1879 










1,347.91 


October 1, 1881 










366.07 


July 1, 1883 










200.00 


July 1, 1885 










46.02 


July 1, 1887 










160.00 


July 1, 1889 










229.35 


June 30, 1891 










403.83 


June 30, 1893 










360.26 


July 1, 1895 










684.85 


July 1, 1897 










209.-02 


July 1, 1899 













July 1, 1901 













July 1, 1903 













June 30, 1905 










74.49 


Total . 


43,297.82 


Amount unpatented 








578.82 


Amount of gr 


int 


43,876.64 


1 Reports of the Eegister of t 
ecretary of State (Land Depa 


he State Land Offic 
ftment), 1883-1905 


e, 1858-1881; and Reports 



44 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

With considerable effort the writer has traced down the 
dates of the errors as a result of which 2,052.20 acres ap- 
pear as unaccounted for in the above table. It was found 
that in the report for 1879 there was a shortage of 1,010.26 
acres. In the report for 1881 there was another discrep- 
ancy of 927.89 acres. And again, in the report of 1897 
the figures given do not produce the correct sum by 207.80 
acres. But by the I'eport of 1899 there seems to be a par- 
tial correction of this error by a counter error of 93.65 
acres. These four errors sum up exactly the amount marked 
"not accounted for" in the table above, i. e., 2,052.20 acres. 
The writer has not been able to ascertain the cause of this 
apparent shrinkage in the amount of the grant. It may 
have been due to some shifts in the courses of rivers, or to 
irregularities in the sale of the land unaccounted for. 

On June 30, 1906, there remained unsold of the Univer- 
sity Grant 572.34 acres.^ 

It is impossible to say just how much per acre all the 
land of this grant has brought when sold. But a number 
of facts presented by Thomas H. Benton, Jr., in the annual 
commencement address at the State University, June 21, 
1867, throw considerable light upon the price received for 
land sold prior to that date. He says that the first sale made 
was of a section in Scott County, containing 645.16 acres, 
for 13,257.80 — an average of five dollars and five cents per 
acre. This was an unusually valuable tract, and so com- 
manded this price — a high one for that day. The total 
number of acres sold up to January 1, 1853, was 685.16 



' Data obtained in a letter received from the Clerk of the Iowa State Land 
Office, August 6, 1806. 



THE UNIVEESITY GRANT 



45 



acres, the amount received therefor being $3,457.80. During 
the year 1854, 9,792.83 acres were sold at public sale for 
$36,475.21. Some tracts also were sold at private sale at 
$8.64 per acre — the appraised valuation. Some 2,280 acres 
were sold at an average price of $2.50. Up to January 1, 
1855, a total of 18,170.70 acres had been disposed of for 
$59,423.15, being an average of $3.27 per acre. A large 
public sale of University lands was held at Iowa City, Iowa, 
in June, 1855, at which the aggregate sales, exclusive of 
lands occupied by settlers, amounted to $74,878.92. October 
25, 1859, the Board made an examination of the books of 
the Treasurer of the University and found that 31,411.36 
acres had been sold, and that the amount of the fund was 
$110,582.75.1 

The amount of the permanent land endowment fund of 
the State University, June 30, 1905, was $235,120.36, which 
included the proceeds not only of the University Land 
Grant but also of the Saline Land Grant treated in the next 
section of this paper. ^ 

The following table includes the interest annually accru- 
ing on the receipts from both of these land grants, and 
shows the entire income of the State University from 
National endowment through rentals and interest : 

TABLE VII ^ 



TEAR 


AMOUNT 


TEAK 


AMOUNT 


1861 .... 

1862 .... 


13,496.8'7 


1863 . . . 

1864 . . . 


15,767.89 
23,416.75 



1 Benton's Historical Sketch of the State University of Iowa, pp. 22-25. 
« Biennial Report of the Board of Regents, p. 109. 
" Ceiisus of Iowa, 1900, pp. cxvii-cxviii. 



46 



FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 



TEAK 


AMOUNT 1 


TEAR 


AMOUNT 


1865 .... 


19,183.77 


1886 . . . 


15,639.45 


1866 












1887 








17,146.35 


1867 










18,985.43 


1888 








16,299.81 


1868 












1889 








15,028.70 


1869 










25,724.49 


1890 








20,282.45 


1870 










19,708.62 


1891 








16,892.80 


1871 










20,497.08 


1892 








16,561.14 


1872 










21,000.84 


1893 








15,792.94 


1873 










22,154.95 


1894 








19,101.78 


1874 










22,376.76 


1895 








16,631.82 


1875 










21,663.58 


1896 








16,233.99 


1876 










18,896.30 


1897 








16,015.98 


1877 










18,135.78 


1898 








17,759.90 


1878 










23,105.92 


1899 








14,988.29 


1879 










17,673.91 


1900 








18,335.72 


1880 










19,620.63 


1901 








14,405.08 


1881 










16,662.94 


1902 








12,610.87 


1882 










15,531.71 


1903 








15,245.74 


1883 










16,487.50 


1904 








13,465.77 


1884 










16,165.02 


1905 






14,254.87 


1885 










16,405.73 




744,855.92 



As nearly all of the land composing both the University 
Grant and the Saline Land Grant has been sold, only a 
small part of the above income now consists of rentals. 

The question naturally comes to mind as to the wisdom of 
the sale of this grant, as well as of the various other land 
grant lands. Would it not have been wiser to lease such 
lands, and use the rentals for current expenses, retaining 
ownership of the land and thus gain the benefit of its great 
increase in value? Such a plan has been followed in several 
States, and is now being pursued by some of them. There 



THE SALINE LAND GRANT 47 

are several points to be argued both for and against this 
proposition, and a discussion of these points will be taken 
up in the closing section of this paper on ' ' Some Compari- 
sons and Conclusions." 

THE SALINE LAND GEANT 

What is known in Iowa history as the Saline Land Grant 
was not intended by Congress to be used directly for educa- 
tional purposes. By an act of Congress, approved March 
3, 1845, the National government granted to the State of 
Iowa for its use all salt-springs within the limits of the 
State, not to exceed twelve in number, together with six 
sections of land adjoining or as nearly contiguous as possible 
to each. These springs and the adjoining land were to be 
selected by the legislature within one year after the admis- 
sion of Iowa into the Union, and were then to be used on 
such terms and conditions, and under such regulations as 
the legislature should provide. One provision of the act 
was that the General Assembly should never lease or sell 
this land and the salt springs for a longer period than ten 
years at a time without the consent of Congress.^ 

On February 24, 1847, the General Assembly authorized 
the Governor to appoint an agent for the purpose of select- 
ing these lands.^ Governor Briggs appointed Mr. John 
Brophy, who made the selections and submitted them to 
the Governor, by whom they were approved. 

Mr. Brophy selected seventy-two sections of these lands 
and submitted the list to the Secretary of the Interior. But 



^United States Statutes at Large, Vol. V, pp. 789-790. 
^Laws of Iowa, 1846, pp. 126-127. 



48 



FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 



of this amount eleven and eleven-sixteenths sections were 
either rejected or suspended. The rest was approved by 
the Secretary of the Interior August 27, 1852. The amount 
approved at this date was sixty and five-sixteenths sections. 

To supply the deficiencies resulting from the rejection or 
suspension of a part of the seventy-two sections selected, 
Governor Hempstead appointed Mr. J. Keister, Saline Land 
Agent to make other selections in lieu of those suspended 
or rejected. June 29, 1854, Mr. Keister reported to the 
Governor a list of his selections. This list was acceptable 
both to the State and to the United States ofiicers. Thus 
the seventy-two sections (twelve springs, each with six sec- 
tions of land) were selected, and were approved by the Sec- 
retary of the Interior. 

Some of the sections chosen were not perfect sections. 
A few contained slightly more than 640 acres, and a few 
contained less than that amount. The exact number of 
acres, as given by the Register of the State Land Olfice, is 
46,202.53. The location of the saline lands by counties is 
as follows: 





TABLE VIII ^ 




COUNTY NO. ACEES THEREIN 


Appanoose 12,960.28 


Davis . 








640.00 


Decatur 








2,560.00 


Lucas 








25,791.46 


Monroe 








1,120.00 


Van Buren 








640.00 


Wayne 








2,490.79 


Tota 


I 


46,202.53 



^Report of the Register of the State Land Office, 1871, p. 13. 



THE SALINE LAND GRANT 49 

It was mentioned above that Congress, in granting the 
saline lands to the State, provided that the General Assem- 
bly should never lease or sell them at any one time for a 
longer period than ten years, without the consent of Con- 
gress. The General Assembly passed a joint resolution, 
January 24, 1861, requesting Iowa's Senators and Repre- 
sentatives in Congress to urge the passage of a law author- 
izing the General Assembly to sell and dispose of the saline 
lands belonging to the State in such manner and at such 
price, not to be less than $1.25 per acre, as the General As- 
sembly might deem expedient. ^ 

As a result of this action, Congress, by an act approved 
May 27, 1852, granted the twelve salt springs and six sec- 
tions contiguous thereto to the State in fee simple to be dis- 
posed of, and the proceeds to be applied as the legislature 
might direct.^ 

Thus the saline grant became the property of the State, 
to be disposed of as directed by the legislature. During 
the next ten years seven different acts were passed relative 
to the disposal of this land. The first of these, passed Feb- 
ruary 5, 1851, provided that the saline lands should be sold 
by the same officer as though they were a part of those lands 
set aside for the improvement of the Des Moines River. 
The proceeds of the sales were to constitute a fund for 
founding and supporting a lunatic asylum, except that 
$5, 000 of the principal was to be placed at the disposal of 
the Superintendent of Public Instruction^ for the use of the 



^Laws of Iowa, 1850, p. 246. 

" United States Statutis at Large, Vol. X, p. 7. 

'Laws of Iowa, 1850, pp. 227-229. 



50 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

College of Physicians and Surgeons at Keokuk. The Reg- 
ister of the State Land Office reported, however, that there 
were no sales made under this act. 

On January 22, 1853, an act of the General Assembly 
was approved, providing that the saline lands should be sold 
by the same officer and under the same regulations as though 
they formed a portion of the school lands of the State. 
The proceeds were to be paid into the State Treasury.^ 

The next law relative to this land was enacted January 
25, 1855. It provided that from the time when it should 
take effect, all school, saline, and university land should be 
sold in accordance with a plan set forth in the act, which 
was practically the same as the plan for selling the sixteenth 
section land. The act also required the Board of Trustees 
of the University to elect a Treasurer, and to him the State 
Treasurer was to deliver over all moneys, books, notes, and 
other papers in his possession and belonging to the univer- 
sity or saline funds. ^ 

The Fifth General Assembly, at an extra session, enacted, 
July 14, 1856, that all money arising from the sale of the 
saline lands of the State, whether in the hands of the Treas- 
urer of State or any other person, should be appropriated 
to the State Insane Asylum at Mount Pleasant. ^ 

Two years later, March 23, 1858, an act was approved 
repealing the section of the act of July 14, 1856, which ap- 
propriated the proceeds from the sale of saline lands for the 
construction of the Insane Asylum.^ 

liows of Iowa, 1852, pp. 126-127. 

^Laws of Iowa, 1854, pp. 200-201. 

"Laws of Iowa, Extra Session, 1856, pp. 90-91 

*Laws of Iowa, 1858, p. 263. 



THE SALINE LAND GRANT 51 

An act passed March 26, 1860, autkorized the County 
Judge and County Treasurer to sell the saline lands. The 
powers vested in the School Fund Commissioners by the act 
of January 25, 1855, relative to the sale of saline lands were 
to be vested in and exercised by the County Judge and 
County Treasurer.^ 

The final disposition of the Saline Land Grant was made 
by an act of the legislature passed April 2, 1860, and tak- 
ing effect May 9, 1860. By this act the saline lands and 
funds were appropriated to the State University to become 
a part of the permanent fund of that institution. But from 
this disposal of the fund, reservation was made that the 
Board of Trustees of the University could expend out of the 
saline fund an amount not to exceed ^5, 000 for completing 
and furnishing a building erected for a "boarding hall", 
and a further amount not exceeding ^5, 000 in repairing and 
refitting the main building of the University, and in pur- 
chasing necessary apparatus for instruction in the institution. - 

As a result of this law the Saline Land Grant was defi- 
nitely and finally diverted by the legislature to the State 
University Fund. From this time it was in effect the same 
as if the Federal government had originally made it as an 
educational grant. 

Soon afterward a question arose as to whether these 
lands were to be sold and certified by the Board of Trustees 
of the University or by the County Judges and Treasurers. 
This question was settled by the legislature in an act ap- 
proved March 25, 1864. The saline lands were by it placed 



'■Laius of Iowa, Revision of 1S60, pp. 345-346. 
^Laws of Iowa, Revision of 1S60, pp. 346-347. 



52 



FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 



under tlie control and management of the Board of Trustees 
of the University "as fully as if the same were a part of the 
grant of lands known as the University Lands." They 
were to be sold by the Board in the same manner and under 
the same restrictions as the University Grant lands. ^ 

When the Board of Trustees of the University was super- 
seded by the Board of Eegents, as above noted in the treat- 
ment of the University Grant, the rules and regulations ap- 
plying to the care and sale of that grant also applied to the 
saline grant. 

The following table shows the amounts of saline lands 
patented during the successive biennial periods: 



TABLE NO. IX 

DATE OF EEPOKT 


L 


NO. ACRES PATENTED 
DUKINS BIENNIUM 


May 14, 1855 5,620.48 


November 14, 1856 








5,061.34 


December 1, 1857 








2,504.48 


November 7, 1859 








1,811.10 


November 6, 1861 








1,280.00 


November 16, 1863 








8,681.51 


November 16, 1865 








10,827.38 


November 12, 1867 








2,632.29 


November 10, 1869 








1,145.69 


November 1, 1871 








1,120.00 


November 1, 1873 








640.00 


November 1, 1875 








880.00 


October 1, 1877 . 








880.00 


October 1, 1879 . 








433.52 


October 1, 1881 . 








760.00 


July 1, 1883 












^Laws of Iowa, 1864, pp. 84-86. 

'Report of the Register of the State Land Office, 1857-1881, and Report of the 
Secretary of State (Land Department), 1883-1905. 



THE SALINE LAND GRANT 



53 







NO. ACKES PATESTED 


DATE OF EEPOKT 


DCEING BIESSICM 


July 1 


1885 


160.00 


July 1 


1887 


40.00 


July 1 


1889 


40.00 


July 1 


1891 


560.00 


July 1 


1893 


. ■ . . 160.00 


July 1 


1895 


701.82 


July 1 


1897 


120.00 


July 1 


1899 





July 1 


1901 


80.00 


July 1 


1903 





July 1 


1905 
Total 







46,139.61 


Amoui 


it unpatente 


a . . . . 1,815.68 




47,955.29 


Error 


or duplicatic 
Amount ( 


n . . . . 1,752.76 




)f grant . . . 46,202.53 



One should guard against believing that the entire amount 
of the saline lands was used for University support. It 
should be remembered that acts were passed providing for 
their use first for one purpose and then for another. It was 
not until 1860 that what was left of this grant was turned 
into the channel of University support. By that date, a 
large number of acres had been patented, and a much larger 
number had been sold. Thomas H. Benton, Jr., said in 
1867 that "in the settlement made with the Board in the 
autumn of 1860, they received of the proceeds ^9,064.64 in 
cash, and ^20,507.10 in notes, making $29,571.74, includ- 
ing the $10,000 appropriated for buildings and apparatus, 
leaving a net balance of $19, 5 71. 74 and the unsold lands to 
be added to the University fund — the whole estimated by 



54 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

the Board at the time at $31, 017. 81. "^ Mr. Benton stated 
that the amount of land unsold at that time and consequent- 
ly turned over to the University was 4,578.43 acres. 

According to a letter received from the Clerk of the Iowa 
State Land Office, August 6, 1906, there were at that date 
1,409.99 acres of the saline grant lands unsold. 

THE AGEICULTUEAL COLLEGE GRANT 

It has been the policy of the Federal government to en- 
courage and aid in the establishment and maintenance of 
colleges of agriculture and the mechanic arts in the various 
States of the Union. This policy was first outlined in an 
act of Congress, approved July 2, 1862, which provided for 
donations of public lands to the several States and Territo- 
ries which might found colleges for the teaching of branches 
of learning related to agriculture and the mechanic arts. It 
granted to the several States an amount of land such that 
each State should receive a quantity equal to 30,000 acres 
for each Senator and Representative in Congress to which 
the respective States were entitled under the census of 1860. 
There was a provision that no mineral lands should be select- 
ed or purchased under this act. The lands, after being sur- 
veyed, were to be apportioned to the several States in sec- 
tions or subdivisions of not less than one-fourth of a section. 
The quantity of land to which any State was entitled was to 
be selected from any of the public lands in that State, sub- 
ject to private entry at $1.25 per acre. AVhere there was 
not a sufficient quantity of such laud in any State to furnish 
the number of acres to which the State was entitled under 



■ Benton's Historical Sketch of the State University of Iowa, pp. 28-29. 



THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE GRANT 55 

this grant, tlie Secretary of the Interior was directed to issue 
sufficient land scrip to make up the deficiency of that State's 
share. This scrip was to be sold, and the proceeds from 
such sale were to be used for the purpose for which the grant 
was made. 

All money derived from the sale of these lands, or scrip 
if such were issued, was to be invested in stocks of the 
United States, or of the States, or some other safe stocks, 
yielding not less than five per cent upon the par value of 
such stocks; and the money so invested was to constitute a 
permanent fund of which the capital should remain forever 
undiminished. The interest of this fund was to be inviola- 
bly appropriated "to the endowment, support, and mainte- 
nance of at least one college where the leading object shall 
be, without excluding other scientific and classical studies, 
and including military tactics, to teach such branches of 
learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts, 
in such manner as the legislatures of the States may respect- 
ively prescribe, in order to promote the liberal and practi- 
cal education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits 
and professions in life."^ 

To make sure that the entire proceeds from these lands 
should be applied, without any diminution whatever, to the 
purjDOses mentioned above, it was provided that all expenses 
of management, superintendence and taxes from the date of 
the selection of the lands until they should be sold, and all 
expenses incurred in the management and disbursement of 
the moneys received from such sales, should be paid out of 
the Treasuries of the States to which these lands should be- 



'^United States Statutes at Large, Vol. XII, pp. 503-505. 



56 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

long. Further, if any part of the funds invested or any of 
the interest thereon should by any action or contingency be 
diminished or lost, it was to be replaced by the State, so 
that the capital might remain forever undiminished. The 
annual interest was to be regularly applied without diminu- 
tion to the endowment, support, and maintenance of at least 
one agricultural college, except that a sum not exceeding ten 
per cent upon the amount received by a State under this act 
might be expended for the purchase of lands for sites or ex- 
perimental farms, whenever the legislature of the State might 
authorize it. No portion of the permanent fund, nor the 
interest on it, was to be applied either directly or indirectly, 
under any pretense whatsoever to the purchase, erection, 
preservation, or repair of any building or buildings. 

This grant was to inure to any State only in case such 
State should provide at least one agricultural college within 
five years after claiming the benefits of the provisions of the 
act. 

Under the conditions laid down in this act, Iowa according 
to the census of 1860, being entitled to eight Senators and 
Representatives in Congress, was entitled to two hundred 
and forty thousand acres of land, upon complying with the 
requirements under which the grant was made. An act of 
the legislature making provision for the founding of a State 
Agricultural College had already been passed (March 22, 
1858),^ so Iowa was ready to immediately take advantage of 
this grant from the Federal government. Accordingly, the 
General Assembly, being convened in extra session, passed 
an act, approved September 11, 1862, accepting the lands, 

^Laws of Iowa, 1858, pp. 173-179. 



THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE GRANT 57 

rights, powers, and privileges granted to and conferi'ed upon 
the State of Iowa by the act of Congress discussed above, 
and upon the terms, conditions, and restrictions contained 
in that act. The Governor was authorized and required to 
appoint a Commissioner to select and locate this land under 
such restrictions as the Governor should direct. But only 
so many acres were to be selected in any county as there 
might be in such county subject to entry at $1.25 per acre, 
over and above the number of acres of swamp lands select- 
ed in such county; and no lands selected as swamp lands 
were to be selected by this Commissioner. 

The list of selections so made by this Commissioner was 
to be reported to the Governor and by him laid before the 
Board of Trustees of the Iowa State Agricultural College 
and Farm. When approved by them, measures were to be 
taken to have the lands selected certified to the State by the 
Secretary of the Interior. This act appropriated one thou- 
sand dollars, or so much of that amount as might be neces- 
sary, to meet the expense of carrying out its provisions.^ 

Under this act, Peter Melendy, of Blackhawk County, 
was appointed to select and locate the lands. He made the 
selections in the latter part of the year 1863, and they were 
approved by the Secretary of the Interior, December 13, 1864. 
Land selected within railroad limits was approved at double 
the value of other land; 35,691.66 acres of these "double 
minimum" lands were selected, and being credited at double 
value, were accepted by the State as 71, 383. 32 acres. When 
these lands are thus considered, the total quantity of land 
received under this grant is 240,000.96 acres. 

^Laws of Iowa, Extra Session, 1862, pp. 25-26. 



58 



FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 



The following table gives the location of this land by 
counties, stating the number of acres within and without 
the railroad limits, and the total amount: 









TABLE NO. X^ 






COUNTY AMT. IN K. K. 
LIMITS 


OUTSIDE R. B. 
LIMITS 


TOTAL 


Beuna Vista . . 1,765.33 


4,072.25 


5,837.58 


Calhoun 




3,068.00 




3,068.00 


Cherokee 






2,249.62 




2,249.62 


Clay . 
Dickinson . 








8,719.42 
5,159.67 


8,719.42 
5,159.67 


Emmet 








16,648.99 


16,648.99 


Greene 






4,178.65 




4,178.65 


Hamilton 






2,481.50 




2,481.50 


Humboldt . 








3,063.13 


3,063.13 


Ida . 






5,212.32 


3,426.55 


8,638.87 


Kossuth 








84,198.29 


84,198.29 


Lyon 
O'Brien 








1,120.00 
1,600.00 


1,120.00 
1,600.00 


Palo Alto . 








27,718.14 


27,718.14 


Pocahontas 






3,549.04 




3,549.04 


Plymouth 

Sac . 






1,760.00 
320.00 


2,082.60 


8,842.60 
320.00 


Sioux . 








1,280.00 


1,280.00 


Webster 






3,249.72 




3,249.72 


Winnebago 








2,429.75 


2,429.75 


Woodbury 

Worth 






3,201.17 


6,902.29 
196.56 


10,103.46 
196.56 


Wright 






4,645.45 




4,645 45 


Error 






10.86 




10.86 


Tot 


%l 




35,691.66 


168,617.64 


204,309.30 



^Report of the Register of the State Land Office, 1865, pp. 129-130. 



THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE GRANT 59 

On Marcli 29, 1864, there was approved an act of the 
General Assembly which formally granted to the Iowa State 
Agricultural College, situated on the Agricultural Farm in 
Story County, Iowa, the lands carried by the grant of July 
2, 1862. By this act the interests on the proceeds arising 
from the sale of these lands, or any part thereof, and the 
rents accruing from the lease of any of such lands, were ap- 
propriated to the endowment, support and maintenance of 
the college, upon the terms, conditions, and restrictions con- 
tained in the act of Congress making the grant, and subject 
to such conditions and restrictions as futui-e legislatures of 
Iowa might impose. The Board of Trustees of the Agri- 
cultural College were authorized to sell all of these lands in 
such tracts or parcels, and to such party or parties, and 
upon such terms of payment as they might deem proper and 
for the best interests of the institution. To the purchaser 
of any part of these lands, the President of the College and 
Farm was to issue a certificate, countersigned by the Secre- 
tary of the Board of Trustees, stating the fact of purchase, 
to whom sold, description of the land, terms of sale, and 
the amount paid for it. Upon the proper presentation of 
this certificate, properly endorsed, to the Register of the 
State Land Office, if full payment of the purchase money 
had been made, the Register was to issue a patent for the 
land. 

Not more than ten per cent of the entire grant was to be 
sold in this manner by the Board of Trustees previous to the 
first day of April 1866, and none of it was to be sold by the 
Board for less than one dollar per acre. ^ 

^Lauis of Iowa, 1864, pp. 148-151. 



60 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

This act also authorized the Trustees to lease for a term 
of ten or more years, any of these lands. The lessee of such 
lands was to pay six per cent per annum interest on the 
appraised value of the lands leased, with the privilege of 
purchasing the same at the expiration of the lease at the 
appraised value at the date of the lease. This appraised 
value was not to be less than $1.25 per acre. In case the 
lessee should fail to pay the interest on his lease within six 
months after it became due he was to forfeit his lease, with 
all the improvements thereon, to the College. 

All the proceeds of the lands thus sold, except ten per 
cent thereof, were to be invested in stocks of the United 
States, or of Iowa, or other safe stocks, yielding not less 
than five per cent upon the par value of such stocks. The 
interest or increase arising from such investment, or so much 
of it as might be necessary, was to be applied to the support 
and maintenance of the College and Farm. 

The Register of the State Land Office reported, Novem- 
ber 16, 1865, that none of the lands had been sold absolute- 
ly, but that 45,504.82 acres had been leased, of which the 
appraised valuation was $89,558.77^ 

Exactly two years after the approval of the act discussed 
above, the Eleventh General Assembly passed another act, 
approved March 29, 1866, regulating the sale and lease of 
lands belonging to the Iowa State Agricultural College. It 
was provided that none of these lands should be sold for a 
less sum than fifty per cent above the prices at which each 
piece respectively had been appraised in the year 1865. But 
any land could be sold by the purchaser paying one-fourth 



^Report of the Register of the State Land Office, 1865, p. 130. 



THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE GRANT 61 

at the time of the sale, and the balance at any time within 
ten years from the day of sale, the purchaser to pay eight 
per cent interest, payable annually in advance, on the defer- 
red payment. Any failure to pay interest or principal with- 
in sixty days after it became due was to cause the purchaser 
to forfeit all claim to the land, as well as that portion of 
principal and interest already paid on the purchase. 

Any of the lands could under this act be leased, in amounts 
not to exceed one hundred and sixty acres to any one man, 
for a term not to exceed ten years. The lessee was to pay 
in advance interest at the rate of eight per cent per annum 
upon the price of the land, the price of which was made 
fifty per cent additional to the price at which it had been 
appraised in 1865. The lessee failing to pay the interest on 
his lease within sixty days from the time it was due, was to 
forfeit his lease together with all interest already paid and 
the improvements on the land.^ 

The Trustees were empowered to appoint agents to carry 
out the provisions of this act, and those of the act of March 
29, 1864, which were not repealed by this one. Hon. G. 
W. Bassett was appointed such agent. In a report which 
he made in 1869, he gave the total number of acres leased 
to September 30, 1869, as 204,056.69. The appraised val- 
uation of this land was |487, 608.59, or |2.39 per acre.^ 

On March 19, 1874, an act of the General Assembly was 
approved, which authorized the Board of Trustees to renew 
leases, for a term not exceeding ten years from the date of 



'iaiys of Iowa, 1866, pp. 62-64. 

^Report of the State Agricultural College and Farm, 1870, pp. 70-71, in Legisla- 
tive Documents, 1870, Vol. II. 



62 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

renewal, and making such lands subject to assessment for 
taxation at the end of ten years from the date of the original 
lease. ^ 

Ten years later, March 27, 1884, an act of the legislature 
was approved, differing but little from that of March 19, 
1874. The Trustees were empowered to still further extend 
leases, and to continue selling Agricultural College lands, on 
practically the same terms and conditions as had been pre- 
viously the case.^ 

On March 28, 1884, there was approved an act which pro- 
vided that the Board of Trustees should consist of one per- 
son from each congressional district of the State, elected by 
the General Assembly, to serve for a term of six years. 
Neither the President nor any other officer or employee of 
the College and Farm nor any member of the General As- 
sembly was to be eligible to the office of Trustee.^ 

By an act approved March 28, 1898, the Governor and 
Superintendent of Public Instruction were made ex-officio 
members of the Board of Trustees.* 

The following table shows the number of acres of this 
grant patented during each biennial period: 

TABLE NO. Xl'^ 

DATE OF REPORT AOKES PATENTED DURING BIENNIDJSI 

November 10, 1869 .... 160.00 

November 1, 1871 .... 3,242.69 

November 1, 1873 .... 2,085.16 



^Laws of Iowa, 1874, p. 93. 
'Laws of Iowa, 1884, pp. 80-82. 
^Laws of Iowa, 1884, pp. 84-85. 
*Laws of Iowa, 1898, p. 45. 

^Report of the Register of the State Land Office, 1869-1881, and Report of the 
Secretary of State (Land Department), 1883-1905. 



THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE GRANT 



63 



DATE OP KEPOKT 






ACKES PATENTED DtTKING EIENNIUM 


November 1, 1875 .... 13,418.54 


October 1, 1877 . 








10,775.61 


October 1, 1879 










1,440.00 


October 1, 1881 










5,753.57 


July 1, 1883 










6,580.97 


July 1, 1885 










35,424.78 


July 1, 1887 










24,534.67 


July 1, 1889 










14,321.07 


June 80, 1891 










32,344.20 


June 30, 1893 










18,256.51 


July 1, 1895 










11,409.91 


July 1, 1897 










11,919.66 


July 1, 1899 










4,888.51 


July 1, 1901 










4,649.75 


June 30, 1903 










1,480.00 


June 30, 1905 










680.00 


Total 


203,365.60 


Amount unpatented 








336.02 


Not accounted for 








607.68 


Amount of grant 


204,309.30 



Of tlie 607.68 acres wMcli appear on the above table as 
"not accounted for", 102.94 acres are accounted for by Geo. 
W. Bassett, Agent for Iowa Agricultural College, in Ms 
I'eport for 1870. He says "the number of acres in the 
grant was reported to be 204,309.30, whereas the actual 
number of acres is 204, 206. 36, a difference of 102. 94 acres. "^ 
Not any of the Agricultural College Grant land remains un- 
sold at the present time. 

The following table shows the income of the Agricultural 
College from rentals and interest on the National endowment. 

^Legislative Documents, 1870, Vol. II, Report of State Agricultural College and 
Farm, p. 71. 



64 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

TABLE NO. XII^ 



YEAR AMOUNT 


YEAR AMOUNI 


1865 . . . $4,914.55 


1886 . . . $45,355.43 


1866 






4,928.27 


1887 






49,669.94 


1867 






30,840.81 


1888 






46,239.01 


1868 






23,241.75 


1889 






47,891.87 


1869 






31,735.03 


1890 






44,145.14 


1870 






32,460.42 


1891 






49,371.22 


1871 






33,826.62 


1892 






44,417.73 


1872 






29,061.78 


1893 






43,928.73 


1873 






33,390.15 


1894 






51,159.55 


1874 






30,779.32 


1895 






43,291.25 


1875 






35,886.18 


1896 






46,596.05 


1876 






34,936.17 


1897 






47,729.75 


1877 






37,833.98 


1898* 






16,609.62 


1878 






38,200.36 


1899 






47,178.42 


1879 






40,304.36 


1900 






41,819.27 


1880 






. ■ 41,791.24 


1901 






. 43,801.05 


1881 






44,384.20 


1902 






, 38,253.93 


1882 






48,135.77 


1903 






. 36,728.51 


1883 






. 45,949.73 


1904 






. 36,295.73 


1884 






. 46,721.89 
. 39,122.53 


1905 






. 35,265.03 


1885 


Total 




$ 


1,564,176.34 



THE FIVE SECTION GRANT 



Another body of land which, like the Five Hundred Thou- 
sand Acre Grant, the Federal government gave to Iowa for 
purposes other than education, and which was diverted by 
the State into educational channels, was that known as the 



^Census of Iowa, 1905, pp. osix-cxx. 

*Partial year — November 11, 1897 to June 30, 1898. Change in ending of 
cal year. 



THE FIVE SECTION GRANT 65 

Five Section Grant. The land conveyed by this grant be- 
came a part of the Agricultural College lands and therefore 
should be considered in a treatment of the sources of our 
educational funds. 

In an act supplemental to that for the admission of the 
States of Florida and Iowa into the Union, approved March 
3, 1845, Congress provided that five entire sections of land, 
in legal divisions of not less than a cparter section, be grant- 
ed to the State of Iowa. The purpose for which the pro- 
ceeds of this land were to be used was that of completing the 
public buildings of the State, or for the erection of public 
buildings at the seat of government of the State, as the leg- 
islature might determine and direct. These five sections 
were to be selected and located under direction of the legis- 
lature, and might consist of any of the unappropriated lands 
of the United States within the State of Iowa. ^ 

The State legislature accepted this grant, and, in order to 
carry out the provisions of the act by which it was made, 
passed an act February 22, 1847, in which John Brown of 
Lee County, Joseph D. Hoag, of Henry County, and John 
Taylor, of Jones County, were appointed Commissioners to 
locate the permanent seat of government of the State, and to 
select the lands granted by Congress to aid in erecting pub- 
lic buildings.^ These Commissioners chose the entire 3,200 
acres in Jasper County. The selections, described by sec- 
tion, township, and range, are shown in the following table : 



^ United States Statutes at Large, Vol. V, p. 790. 
''Laws of Iowa, 1846, p. 85. 



KANGE 


ACRES 


20 W 


320 


20 


640 


20 


640 


20 


640 


20 


640 


20 


320 



66 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

TABLE NO. XIII^ 

SECTION TWP. 

Lots 5 & 8, and the S. W. i of 3 . . 78 N 
Lots 5, 6, 7, & 8, and S. E. & S. W. i of 4 78 
Lots 5, 6, 7, & 8, and S. E. & &. W. i of 5 78 

Sec. 8 -78 

Sec. 9 78 

W. i of 10 78 

Total 3,200 

In an act approved March 22, 1858, the General Assem- 
bly provided for the establishment of a State Agricultural 
College and Farm. Of this act, section eleven stated that 
"There is hereby appropriated the proceeds of the sale of 
five sections of land heretofore granted to the State of Iowa 
by Congress for the erection of Capitol buildings, for the 
use and benefit of the college herein established: Provided 
Congress diverts the same for this purpose. "^ 

On the following day, March 23, 1858, there was ap- 
proved an unpublished resolution asking Congress for a diver- 
sion of these five section lands from their originally intended 
use in the erection of public buildings. This resolution in- 
structed Iowa's Senators in Congress and requested her Rep- 
resentatives to endeavor to obtain the passage of an act of 
Congress authorizing the use of the five sections of land for 
the benefit of the Agricultural College and Model Farm.^ 

In response to this request, Congress passed an act July 
11, 1862, in which it was enacted that the five sections of 
land granted to the State of Iowa should be released and dis- 
charged from the limitation contained in the granting act. 

^Report of the Register of the State Land Office, 1857, p. 25. 

"Laws of Iowa, 1858, p. 174. 

'Report of the Register of the State Land Office, 1859, p. 30. 



THE SWAMP LAND GRANT 67 

Permission was given to the General Assembly of Iowa to 
make such, disposition of this land as it might deem best for 
the interests of the State. ^ 

This act of Congress having given approval to the act of 
the State legislature, the Trustees of the Agricultural Col- 
lege took over the control and management of the five section 
lands. 

The Register of the State Land Oflice in his report dated 
November 16, 1865, said that 2,560 acres of this land had 
been sold, 1, 120 acres having been patented. In his report 
two years later — November 12, 1867 — he stated that the 
entire 3, 200 acres had been sold and patented. 

The Secretary of the Agricultural College and Farm in 
his report, of January 1, 1866, gave a table of the receipts 
of the College for each of the successive years up to that 
date. In the tables of receipts for the years 1864 and 1865, 
he includes the following items :^ 

1864 — Jasper County Lands . . $16,000.00 

1865 — Jasper County Lands . . 1,453.79 

Total $17,453. 79 

This amount of $17,453.79 became a part of the perma- 
nent fund of the State Agricultural College and from that 
time any treatment of the proceeds of the Five Section Grant 
lands as separate from the rest of that fund is impossible. 

TPIE SWAMP LAND GRANT 

In considering the Swamp Land Grant, no attempt will be 
made in this paper to follow out in detail every line of this 



^ United States Statutes at Large, Vol. XII, p. 536. 

^Legislative Documents, 1866, Vol. II; Report of Agricultural College and Farm, 
pp. 13-14. 



68 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

complicated and badly mixed affair. Herein a treatment of 
the more fundamental features and the more important de- 
tails of the Swamp Land Grant and its disposal in Iowa will 
suffice. 

The method of selecting and determining what was or was 
not to be considered swamp land caused much of the diffi- 
culty and complication referred to. Many hundred thousand 
acres have been selected and claimed to be swamp land 
which agents of the Federal government have refused to rec- 
ognize as such. In many cases the selecting agents were 
doubtless either intentionally or unintentionally wrong in 
their judgment as to the swampy nature of certain tracts. 
They were also in some cases careless in reporting and de- 
scribing such selections. 

Another cause of irregularity is the fact that some land 
selected as swamp land, and so due to the State under the 
Swamp Land Grant, was also included in one or more of the 
various grants made to aid in the construction of railroads. 
In this way complications arose many in number and almost 
impossible of disentanglement. 

Again, many tracts of land swampy in their nature had 
been located and filed upon by settlers before the Swamp 
Land Grant was made, and so could not well pass to the State. 
It was this fact that led to the system of indemnifying the 
State either by other land in the place of such tracts or by 
cash indemnity. 

A still further cause of complications is found in the fact 
that certain years during the selection of swamp lands — nota- 
bly 1854 and 1855 — were very wet years. This period was 
followed by a time of unusual drouth. Accordingly many 



THE SWAMP LAND GRANT 69 

tracts selected during the wet years were not approved by 
the agents of the Federal government during the later dry 
years. During the dry period one could have been easily 
persuaded that fraud had been practiced in the selection of 
good land under the claim that it was of a swampy charac- 
ter. It was, indeed, sometimes asserted that the National 
government was being held up and robbed in this manner. 

The facts above mentioned are sufficient to convince the 
reader that a complete discussion of the Swamp Land Grant 
would demand the consideration of many complicated ques- 
tions. As stated above, in this chapter we shall content our- 
selves with making a somewhat general and less detailed 
study of this grant. 

By an act of Congress, approved September 28, 1850, en- 
titled "An act to enable the State of Arkansas and other 
States to reclaim the 'Swamp Lands' within their limits", 
the so-called Swamp Land Grant was made.^ By this act it 
was provided that to enable the State of Arkansas to con- 
struct the necessary levees and drains to reclaim the swamp 
and overflowed lands therein, the whole of those swamps and 
overflowed lands, made unfit thereby for cultivation, which 
should remain unsold at the passage of this act, should be 
and the same were thereby, granted to said State. The 
Secretary of the Interior, as soon as practicable after the 
passage of this act, was to make out an accurate list and plats 
of such swamps and overflowed lands, and transmit this list 
to the Governor of Arkansas, and at the request of said 
Governor, cause a patent to be issued to the State therefor. 
LTpon the granting of this patent, the fee simple to said lands 

'^United States Statutes at Large, Vol. IX, pp. 519-520. 



70 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

was to vest in the State of Arkansas, subject to the disposal 
of the legislature thereof. The proceeds of these lands were 
to be used, exclusively, as far as necessary, for the purpose 
of reclaiming them by means of levees and drains. 

In making out the list and plats of these swamp lands, all 
legal subdivisions, the greater part of which was ' ' wet and 
unfit for cultivation", were to be included in such lists and 
plats. If the greater part of such subdivisions was not of 
that character, the entire parcel of land was to be excluded 
from the list and plats. 

The part of this act of most importance in a consideration 
of Iowa land grants, is section four, by which it was enacted 
that the provisions of this act should be extended to, and 
their benefits be conferred upon, each of the other States of 
the Union in which such swamp and overflowed lands might 
be situated. 1 

Another act of Congress, approved March 2, 1855, pro- 
vided that the President of the United States should issue 
patents to purchasers or locators of lands claimed as swamp 
lands prior to the issue of patents to the State or States as 
provided in the law of September 28, 1850, discussed above. 
Upon due proof, by the authorized agent of the State or 
States, before the Commissioner of the General Land Office, 
that any of the lands purchased were swamp lands within 
the true intent and meaning of the act of September 28, 
1850, the purchase money was to be paid over to the said 
State or States. Where the lands had been located by war- 
rant or scrip, the said State was to be authorized to locate a 
quantity of like amount upon any of the public lands subject 

' United States Statutes at Large, Vol. IX, pp. 519-520. 



THE SWAMP LAND GRANT 74 

to entry at one dollar and a quarter per acre or less, and 
patents were to be issued therefor upon the terms and con- 
ditions enumerated in the act of 1850. Such decisions of 
the Commissioner of the General Land Office were to be ap- 
proved by the Secretary of the Interior.^ 

An act confirming to the several States lands selected as 
swamp lands was approved March 3, 1857. This act j^ro- 
vided that the selection of swamp lands made in conformity 
with the above acts, and reported to the Commissioner of 
the General Land Office prior to the passage of this act, so 
far as the same should remain vacant and unappropriated, 
and not interfered with by actual settlement under any ex- 
isting law of the United States, was thereby confirmed and 
should be approved and patented to the said several States 
as soon as practicable. ^ 

The Fourth General Assembly of the State of Iowa pass- 
ed an act, approved January 13, 1853, for the disposal of 
the swamp and overflowed lands in Iowa and to pay the ex- 
pense of selecting and surveying the same. By this act all 
the swamp and overflowed lands granted by the act of Con- 
gress of September 28, 1850, were granted to the counties 
in which they were respectively situated, for the purpose of 
constructing the necessary levees and drains to reclaim the 
same. Any lands remaining after the expenses of reclama- 
tion had been met, were to be used for the building of roads 
and bridges, when necessary, through or across these lands. 
If all should not be needed for these purposes, the remain- 
der was to be expended in building roads and bridges within 

^United States Statutes at Large, Vol. X, pp. 634-635. 
' United States Statutes at Large, Vol. XI, p. 251. 



72 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

the county. A minimum selling price of twenty cents per 
acre was placed upon this land.^ 

January 27, 1858, a measure was enacted authorizing the 
Governor to appoint an agent to proceed to Washington to 
effect an adjustment and settlement for the different counties 
in the State of their swamp land business. The Governor 
was also authorized to appoint one or more agents to have 
the swamp and overflowed lands selected in the new and un- 
organized counties of the State.- 

Provision was also made that when the General govern- 
ment had issued the scrip and refunded the money to the 
State, as contemplated by the act of Congress of March 2, 
1855, and patented to the State the lands accruing by virtue 
of the act of Congress of September 28, 1850, the Gover- 
nor, Register of the State Land Office, and the agent of the 
county, if any, should constitute a board to ascertain what 
amount of said land, money, and scrip should be due the 
different counties of the State and when so ascertained the 
same should be subject to the order of the County Judges, 
or other proper authorities in the county.^ 

By another law, enacted March 22, 1858, it was provided 
that it should be competent and lawful for counties owning 
swamp and overflowed lands, to devote the same, or the 
proceeds thereof, either in whole or in part to the erection 
of public buildings for the purpose of education, the build- 
ing of bridges, roads and highways, for building institutions 
of learning or for making railroads through the county or 



^Laws of Iowa, 1852, pp. 29-37. 
'Laivs of Iowa, 1858, pp. 3-4. 
'Laws of Iowa, 18.58, pp. 3-4. 



THE SWAMP LAND GRANT T3 

counties to wMch. such lands belonged. But before any 
such lands or money could be used for any or all of these 
purposes, it was necessary that the question whether it be 
done or not should be submitted to the people at some gen- 
eral or special election of the county.^ 

At an extra session of the Eighth General Assembly an 
act was passed, approved May 28, 1861, by which the swamp 
lands in the various counties of the State were placed under 
the control of the respective county Boards of Supervisors. 
All previous acts of the county Boards of Supervisors rela- 
tive to the swamp lands were legalized. ^ 

The following year an amendatory act was passed, becom- 
ing a law without the Governor's signature, March 31, 1862, 
by which it was made possible for the counties to use their 
swamp lands, or the proceeds thereof, for any or all of the 
following jDurposes: (a) the erection of public buildings for 
the purpose of education; (b) the building of bridges, roads, 
and highways; (c) for building institutions of learning; (d) 
for a permanent school fund for the use of the county to 
which such lands belong; (e) for building of county build- 
ings; or (f) for making railroads through the county or 
counties to which such lands belonged. But no county was to 
be released from its obligations to make the necessary drains 
and levees as contemplated in the original act of Congress 
by which the grant was made.^ 

Another act by this same General Assembly, approved 
April 8, 1862, again authorized the Governor to appoint an 



^Laws of Iowa, 1858, pp. 256-257. 
'Laws of Iowa, Extra Session, 1861, p. 7. 
'Laios of Iowa, 1862, pp. 78-79. 



74 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

agent or agents to settle the entire matter of tlie swamp 
lands with the Commissioner of the General Land Office at 
Washington. This act also made many provisions as to 
the methods to be pursued in such settlement and as to the 
distributions of the lands or proceeds thereof to the several 
counties. 1 A number of general agents were appointed; 
and one of these, Samuel Townsend, went to Washington 
and accomplished something toward straightening out the 
swamp land affairs. A great many details, however, re- 
mained unsettled. 

At the next session of the legislature an act, approved 
March 22, 1864, provided that the Boards of Supervisors in 
the several counties might appoint three citizens to make 
a careful examination of the swamp lands in their respec- 
tive counties, "lying in, along or contiguous to naviga- 
ble streams; such lands being subject to periodical overflow 
during any of the summer months". Upon this land a 
value was to be appraised. Upon all other of the swamp 
lands of the county, not situated as described above a value 
was to be appraised, not to be less than one dollar per acre. 
After such appraisal, the Board of Supervisors was to have 
power to sell such lands at public or private sale, at a price 
not lower than that at which it had been appraised. ^ 

By an act approved March 30, 1866, J. A. Harvey was 
appointed a Commissioner on behalf of the State of Iowa 
to adjust with the General government several matters rela- 
tive to grants of land to the State. Among these matters 
was that of settling the claims of Iowa against the United 

'Laws of Iowa, 1862, pp. 186-190. 
"Laws of Iowa, 1864, pp. 74-75. 



THE SWAMP LAND GRANT 75 

States arising under the Swamp Land Grant. ^ Mr. Harvey 
did not complete this work, and on January 12, 1872, Hon. 
John Cleghorn was appointed as Commissioner. He went 
to Washington, D. C, and entered upon his duties May 28, 
1872. October 28, 1873, he made a report to Hon. Aaron 
Brown, Kegister of the State Land Office, in which he noted 
much progress in the accurate adjustment of the claims of 
the State, although many vexatious questions in connection 
with the swamp lands remained unsettled.^ 

At the adjourned session of the Fourteenth General As- 
sembly, Joint Kesolution No. 15, passed January 25, 1873, 
authorized and required the Governor and the Register of 
the State Land Office to procure as soon as practicable from 
the Commissioner of the General Land Office at Washington, 
and also when deemed necessary from the several local land 
offices, certified lists of the lands on which there were con- 
flicting claims under the several railroad and swamp land 
grants, together with lists of all cancelled preemption en- 
tries and homestead claims or settlements. These lists were 
to be filed and recorded in the office of the Register of the 
State Land Office. The necessary expenses of this work 
were to be paid out of the general contingent fund of the 
State. 3 

The Governor ajDpointed Mr. P. S. Brown as an agent to 
do this work and the Register of the State Land Office in 
his annual report of November 1, 1875, indicates that the 
duty was performed and that the lists made out were on file 
at the Land Office. 



^Laws of Iowa, 1866, pp. 71-73. 

^Beport of the Begister of the State Land Office, 1873, pp. 1G4-176. 

'Laws of loioa, Adjourned Session, 1873, p. 27. 



76 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

Mr. Clegliorn held this office until it was abolished by an 
act of the legislature, approved March 18, 1874.^ 

The question was raised in the case of the Ameficaii 
Emigrant Company vs. Adams County whether the swamp 
lands could be legitimately used for any purpose except that 
of reclaiming such land, as contemplated in the act of Con- 
gress making the grant. The case was transferred from the 
District Court of Adams County, Iowa, to the Circuit Court 
of the United States. It was appealed from the Circuit 
Court to the Supreme Court of the United States. The 
Supreme Court first decided that any other use was a viola- 
tion of the act of Congress and so was unlawful. But upon 
reconsideration this opinion was reversed and the grant by 
the State of its swamp and overflow lands to the several 
counties for general county purposes was held to be valid. ^ 

The act of April 8, 1862, mentioned above, granting to 
the Governor power to appoint agents to receive and locate 
swamp land scrip, fixed as compensation for such agents 
four dollars per day, the money to be paid by the counties. 
The Treasurer of the State, instead of distributing among 
the several counties all the money received as swamp land 
indemnity, kept out a percentage of the swamp land funds 
passing through his hands. This money was to be used in 
paying the swamp land agents. The full amount retained 
thus by the Treasurer was not needed for this purpose; and 
accordingly, on March 25, 1878, an act of the legislature 
was approved, instructing the Treasurer to distribute these 
accumulated funds to the several counties from which such 



^Laws of Iowa, 1874, p. 18. 

"Report of the Secretary of State (Land Department), 1883, p. : 



THE SWAMP LAND GRANT 77 

funds had been held back. After the passage of this act 
all money received from the United States in payment of 
cash indemnity for swamp lands was to be paid over to the 
proper counties, the State Treasurer not retaining any part 
ofit.i 

An act of the Nineteenth General Assembly, approved 
March 25, 1882, authorized the sale and conveyance of the 
so called "Indemnity Swamp-Land". Any such land be- 
longing to any county of the State was to be sold by the 
Board of Supervisors of that county. After being appraised 
by three disinterested persons, notice was to be published 
for three successive weeks in some newspaper of the county. 
In response to such notice sealed bids were to be made. If 
any such bid equaled the appraised value of the land, the 
Board of Supervisors could accept the highest bid, and upon 
proper payments being made by the bidder, the County 
Auditor was to execute a deed of conveyance to the land.^ 
This act was amended by another, approved February 25, 
1892, by which it was made possible for the Board of Su- 
pervisors to sell this land at public outcry. The same no- 
tice as to such public sale was to be made as was provided 
in the act to which this one was amendatory. No land was 
to be thus sold at less than its appraised value. ^ 

In cases where swamp land had been located by warrant 
or scrip previous to its selection as swamp land, the act of 
March 2, 1855, had stipulated that the State should be 
authorized to locate a like quantity upon any of the public 



^Laws of Iowa, 1878, p. 122. 
^Laws of Iowa, 1882, pp. 162-164. 
'Laws of Iowa, 1892, p. 66. 



78 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

lands subject to entry at one dollar and a quarter per acre 
or less. The ruling was made that such land due in lieu of 
swamp land could be located only within the State. ^ The 
Registers of the State Land Office in several successive re- 
ports called the attention of the legislature to the fact that 
a number of the counties still had such land due them, but 
that there was no government land remaining not entered 
within the State of Iowa. To try to make it possible for 
these counties to get the land rightly due them, the General 
Assembly, March 17, 1880, passed a joint resolution and 
memorial in which the Senators and Representatives of Iowa 
in Congress were requested and urged to use all lawful 
means to procure an act of Congress authorizing the location 
of such land scrip upon any government lands open to 
public entry in any other State or Territory of the United 
States.^ 

This desired result not being accomplished, the General 
Assembly in 1884 again passed a joint resolution instructing 
Iowa's Senators and requesting her Representatives in Con- 
gress to use all proper and lawful means within their power 
to secure the enactment of a bill allowing the location of 
swamp land scrip outside of the State of lowa.^ 

This resolution likewise failing to bring about the desired 
act of Congress, still a third call upon Iowa's delegation in 
Congress was made by the Twenty-second General Assem- 
bly. A concurrent resolution of this Assembly once more 
urged the Senators and Representatives of the State in Con- 



1 United States Statutes at Large, Vol. X, pp. 634-635. 
*Laws of Iowa, 1880, p. 215. 
'Laws of Iowa, 1884, pp. 238-239. 



THE SWAMP LAND GRANT 79 

gress to use their influence to effect the passage of an act 
enabling the counties to locate their swamp land scrip in 
some other State or Territory.^ 

Nothing has come of this request; and at the present time 
there still remain in the State Land Office, four certificates 
for lands not located, and which cannot be located unless 
some relief act be passed by Congress. The counties to 
which these certificates belong, and the number of acres 
carried by each certificate are set forth in the following table. 



TABLE NO. XIV 

COUKTT 

Greene County, (Certificate No. 91) 
Guthrie County, (Certificate No. 94) 
Marion County, (Certificate No. 16) 
Chickasaw County, (Supplemental Certificate No. 33) 
Total 



NO. OF ACRES 

10,658.22 

1,840.00 

120.00 

109.00 

12,727.22 



As is stated in the report from which this table is taken, 
if the Federal government does not make it possible to locate 
this land in some more western State still having public 
lands, it should pay cash indemnity therefor. 

As noted above in the act of March 2, 1855, it was pro- 
vided that if upon due proof, by the authorized agent of 
the State before the Commissioner of the General Land Of- 
fice, any of the lands which had before that date been pur- 
chased by settlers were swamp lands in the true meaning 
and intent of the act making the swamp land grant, the 
purchase money should be paid over to the State. ^ From 
time to time payments of such indemnity money have been 

^Laws of Iowa, 1888, pp. 240-241. 

^Report of the Secretary of State (Land Department), 1903, p. 22. 

» United States Statutes at Large, Vol. X, pp. 634-635. 



FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 



The total amount of cash, indemnity paid to Iowa up 
to June 30, 1904, is $584,284.53.1 

The amounts of swamp land patented to this State during 
the successive biennial periods are shown by the following 
table : 



TABLE NO. XV' 



DATE OP EEPOET 

November 1, 1859 
November 6, 1861 
November 15, 1863 
November 16, 1865 
November 12, 186'7 
November 10, 1869 
November 1, 1871 
November 1, 1873 
November 1, 1875 
October 1, 1877 
October 1, 1879 
October 1, 1881 
July 1, 1883 
July 1, 1885 
July 1, 1887 
July 1, 1889 
June 30, 1891 
June 30, 1893 
July 1, 1895 
July 1, 1897 
July 1, 1899 
July 1, 1901 
June 30, 1903 
June 30, 1905 
Total 



^Report of Commissioner of General Land Office, 1904, 
^Census of Iowa, 1905, p. ix. 



NO. ACRES PATENTED 

23,611.49 
430,462.99 
142,380.64 

325,106.30 

188,383.69 

35,408.21 

4,099.29 

16,274.76 

2,209.97 

6,078.40 

1,516.06 

711.89 

2,365.00 

3,249.54 

1,436.97 

1,045.13 

667.16 

1,120.00 

2,385.40 

1,069.56 

938.56 

1,179.61 

393.70 

1,192,044.32 

p. 536. 



THE FIVE PER CENT FUND 81 

This table includes patents for the lands granted by both 
the original act o£ September 28, 1850, and the indemnity 
act of March 2, 1855. Of the above total— 1,192,044.32 
acres — 870,189.09 acres are of "lands in place", and 321,- 
855.23 acres are of "indemnity lands". 

The cash indemnity of $584,284.53 was on a basis of 
468,521.71 acres of land. So, the entire quantity of land 
inuring to Iowa under the Swamp Land Grant up to the 
present time is 1,660,556.03 acres. There is yet a consider- 
able quantity both of lands in place and of indemnity lands 
that has been selected, but has not been either approved or 
rejected by the general government. During the past few 
years a large number of acres have been rejected, and it is 
probable that the larger part of present claims will be 
treated in the same manner. 

THE FIVE PER CENT FUND 

Attention has already been called to the fact that various 
methods have been used by the Federal government in aid- 
ing public education. As was stated above the greater part 
of such aid has been extended by means of land grants. The 
seven grants by which aid has been given to Iowa have now 
been presented and briefly discussed. The three sections 
which follow are devoted to a brief discussion of Federal aid 
to education in Iowa extended by means other than land 
grants. The topics thus to be taken up are: (1) the Five 
Per Cent Fund, (2) the Second Morrill Act Fund, and (3) 
Federal Aid to Experiment Stations. 

Of these three topics the first to be presented in this pa- 
per is that of the Five Per Cent Fund. This method which 



82 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

in Iowa has been used in extending Federal aid to public 
school education should possibly be treated under the head 
o£ land grants, as the money was received from the sale of 
public lands and as its amount depended upon the price at 
which such lands were sold. As was the case with two or 
three of the land grants, mentioned and discussed above, the 
original purpose of the Five Per Cent Fund was not that of 
aid to education. But, as the result of action by the State, 
this money, intended by the Federal government for other 
purposes, was diverted into educational channels. Hence, 
it is treated here under the head of Federal aid to education 
in Iowa. 

In section six of an act of Congress, approved March 3, 
1845, and entitled "An act supplemental to an act for the 
admission of the States of Iowa and Florida into the Union", 
there is a statement of the original intent in the establishing 
of the Five Per Cent Fund. This section provides that 
' ' five per cent of the net proceeds of sales of all public lands 
lying within the said State [Iowa], which have been, or 
shall be sold by Congress, from and after the admission of 
said State, after deducting all the expenses incident to the 
same, shall be appropriated for making public roads and 
canals within said State, as the legislature may direct."^ 

In article X, section 2, of the Constitution under which 
Iowa was admitted into the Union, it was provided that such 
per cent as Congress might grant, on the sale of public lands 
in the State, should enter into and become a part of the 
permanent fund, of which the interest should be used for 



• United States Statutes at Large, Vol. V, p. 790. 



THE FIVE PER CENT FUND 83 

support of the common schools.^ By an act of Congress of 
December 28, 1846, Iowa was admitted into the Union. 
This act stated that all the provisions of the act of March 3, 
]845, should be in force. ^ The State was admitted, how- 
ever, under the Constitution above mentioned. The act of 
Congress provided that the Five Per Cent Fund must be 
used for certain internal improvements, while the Constitu- 
tion stated that it should be used to increase the permanent 
school fund. 

By an act approved February 25, 1847, the General As- 
sembly provided that the five per cent upon the net proceeds 
of the sales of the public lands, granted to Iowa by the 
United States, should be paid into the hands of the Super- 
intendent of Public Instruction to be disposed of by him 
according to law.^ Acting upon this legislation the Super- 
intendent, in November 1848, made application for this 
money. But the Comptroller of the Treasury replied to 
him that it could not be paid until ofiicial advice should be 
received that a law had been passed appropriating it for the 
purposes of internal improvements, as contemplated in the 
act of Congress of March 3, 1845. The attention of the 
Iowa delegation in Congress was called to the difficulty, and 
they procured the passage of an act of Congress, March 2, 
1849, by which the controversy was settled. By this act it 
was declared that the act by which Iowa was admitted into 
the Union should be interpreted as giving assent to the ap- 
plication of the Five Per Cent Fund for the support of com- 

iThis Constitution may be found in Laws of Iowa, 1S46. The section here re- 
ferred to is on page 13. 

^United States Statutes at Large, Vol. IX, p. 117. 
'Laws of Iowa, 1846-'47, pp. 160-164. 



84 



FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 



mon schools as provided by the Constitution of Iowa. ^ Thus 
the matter was satisfactorily settled. 

Up to and including the year 1856 this money was paid 
to the Superintendent of Public Instruction and by him dis- 
posed of according to law. After that time it was paid into 
the State Treasury, and in this way became part of the 
permanent school fund. 

The amounts of money received from the Five Per Cent 
Fund have been as follows:^ 



DATE KBCEIVED 






LANB SOLD 






AMOUNT 


in 1849 . . . 1847 . . . $ 16,442.05 


1850 






1848 






9,105.52 


1851 






1849 






5,708.46 


1852 






1850 






6,471.36 


1853 






1851 






11,901.90 


1854 






1852 






1,697.68 


1855 






1853 






54,241.58 


1856 






1854 






226,800.86 


Jan. 1, 1857 












185,785.82 


Sept. 21, 1857 












34,219.34 


Oct. 2, 1858 












28,101.41 


Total 


$580,475.48 



THE SECOKD MORRILL ACT FUNB 

By an act of Congress, approved August 30, 1890, it was 
provided that there should be annually appropriated out of 
any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, 
arising from the sales of public lands, to each State and Ter- 
ritory a sum of money for the more complete endowment 



' United States Statutes at Large, Vol. IX, p. 349. 

'Reports of the Superintendents of Public Instruction, and Reports of the State 
Treasurers. 



THE SECOND MORRILL ACT FUND 85 

and maintenance of colleges for the benefit of agriculture 
and the mechanic arts. For the year ending June 30, 1890, 
this sum was to be $15,000, and there was to be an annual 
increase of the amount of such appropriation thereafter for 
ten years by an additional sum of $1,000 over the preceding 
year. The annual amount to be paid after the expiration of 
these ten years was $25,000. 

This money was to be applied only to instruction in agri- 
culture, the mechanic arts, the English language, and the 
various branches of mathematical, physical, natural, and 
economic science, with special reference to their applications 
in the industries of life, and to the facilities for such instruc- 
tion. The sums appropriated by this act were to be paid 
annually on or before July 31 of each year, to the various 
State or Territorial Treasurers or to any other officer so 
designated by the legislature. Upon the order of the trus- 
tees of the various agricultural colleges, these officers were 
to pay over this money to the treasurers of the respective 
institutions entitled to it. These treasurers were to be re- 
quired to report to the Secretary of Agriculture and the 
Secretary of the Interior annually on or before September 
1, a detailed statement of the amount so received and of its 
disbursement. 

A further provision of the act was that if any portion of 
the money granted by this act should, by any action or con- 
tingency, be diminished or lost, or be misapplied, it should 
be replaced by the State or Territory to which it belonged; 
and until such replacement no subsequent appropriation 
should be apportioned or paid to such State or Territory. 
No portion of this money was to be applied, directly or in- 



86 



FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 



directly, under any pretense whatever, to the purchase, 
erection, preservation, or repair of any building or buildings. 

The president of each such college was to make an annual 
report to the Secretary of Agriculture and to the Secretary 
of the Interior regarding the condition and progress of the 
college, including statistical information as to its receipts and 
expenditures, its library, the number of its students and 
professors, and also as to any improvements and experi- 
ments made under the direction of any experiment stations at- 
tached to said colleges, with their cost and results, and such 
other industi'ial and economical statistics as might be regard- 
ed as useful.^ 

The grants of money authorized by this act were made 
subject to the legislative assent of the several States and Ter- 
ritories to the purposes of the grants, as set down above. 

The first installment of this fund, known as the Morrill 
Fund because the act of Congress making the grant was 
called the second Morrill act, was for the year 1889. The 
Treasurer of the Agricultural College reports receipts from 
this source of revenue as follows:^ 



1889 






$15,000 


1898 






$28,000 


1890 






16,000 


1899 






24,000 


1891 






17,000 


1900 






25,000 


1892 






18,000 


1901 






25,000 


1893 






19,000 


1902 






25,000 


1894 






20,000 


1903 






25,000 


1895 






21,000 


1904 






25,000 


1896 






22,000 
15,000 


1905 






25,000 


1897* 


Total 


$360,000 



> Vmied States Statutes at Large, Vol. XXVI, pp. 417-419. 
'Census of Iowa, 1905, pp. cxix-cxx. 
*Change made in the ending of fiscal year. 



FEDERAL AID TO EXPERIMENT STATIONS 87 

FEDERAL AID TO EXPERIMENT STATIONS 

By an act of Congress, approved March 2, 1887, it was 
provided that, in each State or Territory which had estab- 
lished or which might afterward establish an Agricultural 
College receiving aid from Federal land grants, an experi- 
ment station should be established as a department of such 
College. The purpose of this experiment station, as stated 
in the act, was "to aid in acquiring and diffusing among the 
people of the United States useful and practical information 
on subjects connected with agriculture, and to promote scien- 
tific investigation and experiment respecting the principles 
and applications of agricultural science. " The law goes into 
considerable detail in enumerating specific lines of investiga- 
tion and information to be pursued at such experiment sta- 
tions, but these details are not of direct interest to us in this 
discussion.^ 

For the pui-pose of paying the necessary expenses of con- 
ducting investigations and experiments and printing and 
distributing results of such work, the law appropriated to 
each State and Territory complying with the provisions of 
the law, the sum of fifteen thousand dollars per annum. 
This sum was to be paid in four equal quarterly installments, 
on the first day of January, April, July, and October in each 
year, to the treasurer or other oflicer duly appointed by the 
governing boards of said colleges to receive the same, the 
first payment to be made October 1, 1887. Out of the first 
annual appropriation arising from this act, it was permitted 
that any station might expend an amount not exceeding one- 
fifth of that appropriation in the erection, enlargement, orre- 

» United States Statutes at Large, Vol. XXIV, pp. 440-442. 



88 FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

pair of a building or buildings necessary for carrying on the 
work of such, station. After the first year, an amount not 
exceeding five per cent of the annual appropriation could be 
expended for these purposes. 

The act provided further that if any part of the annual 
appropriation should remain unexpended at the end of the 
year the amount unexpended should be deducted from the 
next annual appropriation, in order that the amount of mon- 
ey appropriated to any station should not exceed the amount 
actually and necessarily required for its maintenance and 
support. 

The grants of money authorized by this act were made 
subject to the legislative assent of the several States and Ter- 
ritories to the purposes of such grants. Accordingly, at the 
next session of the General Assembly of Iowa an act was 
passed and approved March 1, 1888, giving such legislative 
assent to the uses of the money specified in the act of Con- 
gress by which the grant was made. By this law the State 
agreed to devote the money thus received to the establish- 
ment and support of an agricultural experiment station as a 
department of the Iowa Agricultural College, as provided 
by the act of Congress.^ The money thus appropriated for 
the Iowa Experiment Station has been and is being used in 
conducting experiments and investigations along the lines of 
agriculture, horticulture, and kindred research. A consid- 
erable number of bulletins have already been published and 
distributed. 

The amounts received by the State Agricultural College 
as a result of this law have been as follows:^ 



^Laws of Iowa, 1888, p. 215. 
'Census of Iowa, 1905, pp. cxix-cxx. 



FEDERAL AID TO EXPERIMENT STATIONS 



89 



1B81 






$ 3,750.00 


1897 






15,000.00 


1888 






15,000.00 


1898* 






7,500.00 


1889 






15,000.00 


1899 






15,000.00 


1890 






18,750.00 


1900 






15,000.00 


1891 






15,000.00 


1901 






15,000.00 


1892 






15,000.00 


1902 






15,000.00 


1893 






15,000.00 


1903 






15,000.00 


1894 






15,000.00 


1904 






15,000.00 


1895 






15,000.00 


1905 






15,000.00 


1896 






15,000.00 


Tota 






$270,000.00 



This money has been expended at Ames in accordance with 
the provisions of the act granting it. The work done at the 
experiment station is of considerable importance to agricul- 
tural and industrial education in Iowa. Results have proved 
and are proving that the granting of lederal aid to experi- 
ment stations is a wise and profitable policy. 

*From November 11, 1897, to June 30, 1898. Change made in ending of fiscal 
year. 



PART II 

'STATE AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

Two methods of State aid for the State educational insti- 
tutions have been made use of in Iowa. One of these 
methods is that of legislative appropriations; the other is the 
levying of a special tax of a certain number of mills upon 
each dollar of assessed valuation of the taxable property of 
the State. In the following pages it is proposed to treat 
first of these two methods of aid as extended to The State 
University of Iowa, which is located at Iowa City. By far 
the larger part of the State support of the State University 
has been extended by legislative aj^propriations. Beginning 
in 1858, and next after that date in 1864, and biennially 
since then, except in 1880, the legislature has made appro- 
priations for the use of this institution of higher learning. 

STATE APPROPRIATIONS FOE THE UNIVERSITY 

By an act approved March 11, 1858, the General Assembly 
took a step which was the first one in Iowa entering upon 
the pathway of State support for the University by means 
of State appropriations. By this act there was appropriated, 
out of any money in the State treasury not otherwise ap- 
propriated, the sum of three thousand dollars. This money 
was to be used for repairing and modifying the building 
(The Old Stone Capitol) occupied at that time by the Uni- 
versity, and for fitting up one or more of its rooms and cer- 



APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE UNIVERSITY 91 

tain cabinets for holding geological specimens. The act 
also appropriated ten thousand dollars for erecting a board- 
ing hall and dormitory. This money was to be expended 
under the direction of the Board of Trustees, and under the 
supervision of a person chosen by the Board for that pur- 
pose. ^ 

March 24, 1864, an act was approved appropriating twenty 
thousand dollars ' 'for the purpose of erecting and construct- 
ing on the grounds of the State University, an additional 
building, with a tower, suitable for an astronomical observa- 
tory, which building shall contain one large room for a 
chapel, rooms suitable for a chemical laboratory, and such 
other rooms as may be deemed necessary by the Board of 
Trustees of said University."^ 

March 31, 1866, an act was passed making several appro- 
priations for the University, as follows: — {a) For complet- 
ing the chapel building, including the heating apparatus, 
thirteen thousand dollars, (b) For putting a slate roof on 
the' main University building, three thousand dollars, (c) For 
putting a heating apparatus in the main building, two thou- 
sand dollars, (d) For putting a heating apparatus in the 
south building, fifteen hundred dollars, (e) For repairing 
and repainting the University buildings, fifteen hundred 
dollars.'' 

March 9, 1868, an act was approved, appropriating twenty 
thousand dollars for making necessary repairs on buildings, 
' 'and giving such aid to the scientific and such other depart- 



1 Laws of Iowa, 1858, pp. 48-49. 

"Laws of Iowa, 1864, p. 80. 

« Laws of Iowa, 1866, pp. 77-78. 



92 STATE AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

ments as the trustees may deem proper to establisli, and in- 
crease their efficiency."^ 

March 24, 1870, the legislature appropriated the sum of 
twenty-five thousand dollars, for the use and support of the 
University for the two years to follow. One-half of this 
amount was to be paid to the Treasurer of the Board of 
Trustees each of the two years. ^ 

April 6, 1872, an act was approved appropriating fifty- 
two thousand three hundred dollars, to be used for purposes 
as follows: — (a) Increase in salaries of president, professors, 
and teachers in the academical departments, for two years, 
from June 20, 1872, five thousand five hundred dollars. 
{b) Salaries for two years, of professors and teachers in the 
professional schools, twenty thousand six hundred dollars, 
(c) Contingent and incidental funds, eight thousand eight 
hundred and fifty dollars, (d) Salaries of secretary, treas- 
urer, and janitor for two years, three thousand dollars. 
(e) Iron fence around the University grounds, and new roof 
on the south hall, six thousand three hundred and fifty dollars. 
(/) Law library, one thousand dollars, {g) General library, 
twenty-five hundred dollars. (Ji) Medical library, five hun- 
dred dollars, (i) Printing, two thousand dollars. (^') Fuel,, 
two thousand dollars.^ 

The act appropriating money for aid and maintenance of 
the University for the next biennial period was approved 
March 18, 1874. By it forty-six thousand dollars was appro- 
priated, to be used in the support of the University in all its- 



> Laws of loioa, 1868, pp. 27-28. 

2 Laws of Iowa, 1870, p. 36. 

' Laws of Iowa, 1872, pp. 44-45. 



APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE UNIVERSITY 93 

chairs and departments, and the expenses necessary and inci- 
dent to its maintenance. One-eighth of this amount was to 
be drawn from the State Treasury on April 1, 1874, and one- 
eighth every three months thereafter until the entire appro- 
priation should be drawn. ^ 

March 17, 1876, was the date of the approval of the next 
act for the biennial support of the University. The amount 
appropriated was forty-seven thousand four hundred and 
fifty-seven dollars. This sum was for the maintenance of 
the institution for the ensuing biennial period, and was to be 
drawn from the treasury in eight equal quarterly installments, 
commencing July 1, 1876, or as soon after such periods as 
the money in the treasury might allow. This act also author- 
ized the Board of Regents to establish a Department of 
Homeopathy to consist of two chairs, and to use four thou- 
sand one hundred dollars of the money carried by this act 
for the salaries of the two professors and the necessary ap- 
purtenances of the two chairs. It also authorized the ex- 
penditure of three thousand two hundred dollars to employ 
Curator Woodman, as the Board of Regents had recommend- 
ed. Any part of the money appropriated not needed for 
the purposes mentioned above, the Board could use in mak- 
ing any repairs and additions to the buildings as they might 
deem expedient and for the best interests of the institution. ^ 

March 22, 1878, the legislature passed an act making an 
endowment appropriation for the University. By this act 
twenty thousand dollars annually was appropriated as an 
endowment fund for the institution. This annual appropria- 



1 Laws of Iowa, 1874, p. 54. 

" Laws of Iowa, 1876, pp. 168-169. 



94 STATE AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

tion was to be drawn in four quarterly installments of five 
thousand dollars each, the first payment to be drawn July 1 , 
1878. There was also appropriated ten thousand dollars 
for repairs on buildings and for fencing and walks. ^ 

No additional appropriation was made by the legislature 
at its session in 1880. 

On March 14, 1882, an act was approved appropriating 
to the University the sum of fifty thousand dollars to be 
used for the following purposes: — (a) For a new building, 
thirty thousand dollars, (b) For two boilers for steam heat- 
ing, and a house for fuel, twenty-two hundred and seventy- 
five dollars, (c) For laying and completing stone walk, 
four hundred and twenty-five dollars, [d) For removing and 
changing the general library and law library, and supplying 
steam heating in the chapel and the libraries thus changed, 
four thousand dollars, (e) For furniture for the new rooms 
and the libraries and general lecture rooms, two thousand 
one hundred dollars. ( /) For repairs to buildings, one thou- 
sand two hundred dollars, (g) For better support and 
further development of the institution, ten thousand dollars. 
Not more than half of the amount appropriated by this act 
was to be drawn out during the year 1882.^ 

April 1, 1884, an act was approved appropriating the sum 
of sixty-four thousand five hundred dollars for the Univer- 
sity, to be used for the following purposes: — («) For a new 
building for the school of science, forty-five thousand dollars. 
(b) For steam heating, plumbing and gas fitting in this 
building, five thousand six hundred dollars, (c) For operat- 

1 Laws of Iowa, 1878, p. 66. 

2 Laws of Iowa, 1882, pp. 82-83. 



APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE UNIVERSITY 95 

ing tables and fixtures, two thousand dollars, (c/) For cases, 
apparatus, and collections of specimens, two thousand dollars. 
(e) For working apparatus and special appliances, five thou- 
sand dollars. (/) For refrigerator for medical department, 
one thousand dollars, (g) For water closet, building sewer- 
age, water and heating connected therewith, fifteen hundred 
dollars. (A) For purchasing furniture for the collegiate 
lecture rooms and fitting the same, one thousand five hun- 
dred dollars, (i) For supplying water connections by laying 
supply pipes from the mains to the buildings, four hundred 
dollars. {J) For the better equipment of the dental de- 
partment, five hundred dollars. Not more than half of the 
sum of the above amounts was to be drawn from the State 
Treasury during the year 1884.^ 

Another act, approved on the same day (April 1, 1884), 
appropriated eight thousand dollars annually ' ' for the sup- 
port of the state university in the several departments and 
chairs, and in aid of the income fund and for the develop- 
ment of the institution. " This made the annual support 
appropriation twenty-eight thousand dollars. ^ 

April 15, 1886, an act was approved appropriating for 
the aid and support of the University the sum of fifty -two 
thousand dollars to be used as follows: — (a) To supply de- 
ficiency or immediate wants of the University for the current 
year, twenty thousand dollars. (5) To supplement endow- 
ment fund from June 30, 1886, to June 30, 1888, thirty 
thousand dollars, (c) For equipment of dental department, 
two thousand dollars.^ 



* Laws of Iowa, 1884, pp. 114-115. 
' Laws of Iowa, 1884, p. 118. 
8 Laws of Iowa, 1886, pp. 86-87. 



96 STATE AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

An act making an appropriation for the better support of 
the University was approved April 11, 1888. The amounts 
appropriated and their purposes were : — (a) For the general 
support fund, twenty thousand dollars annually for the bien- 
nial period ending June 30, 1890. (5) To supplement en- 
dowment fund from June 30, 1888, to June 30, 1890, as fol- 
lows: — Aid to chair of engineering, one thousand dollars; 
repairs and contingent fund, eighty-five hundred dollars; 
chemical and physical apparatus, two thousand five hundred 
dollars. 1 

The appropriation for the biennial period from June 30, 
1890, to June 30, 1892, was in the amount of one hundred 
and twenty -five thousand dollars. The date of the approval 
of the act making this appropriation was April 19, 1890. 
The purposes for which the money was to be used were: — 
{a) Additional general support, forty-five thousand dollars. 
(^) Vapor gas plant for laboratory use, one thousand dollars, 
(c) Additional equipment of natural science department, 
four thousand dollars, (c/) Additional equipment of depart- 
ment in engineering, four thousand dollars, (e) Physical 
laboratory apparatus, four thousand dollars. (/) Erection 
of a chemical laboratory building and equipment for same, 
fifty thousand dollars, {g) Enlargement of boiler house 
and additional heating apparatus, two thousand dollars, {li) 
Library, five thousand dollars. {%) Eepairs and contingent 
fund, ten thousand dollars. Of this entire sum, not more 
than one-third was to be drawn in 1890, and the balance in 
two equal installments, the first on or after May 15, 1891, 
and the second on or after October 15, 1891.^ 



1 l,ains of Iowa, 1888, p. 169. 
''Laws of Iowa, 1890, pp. 108-109. 



APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE UNIVERSITY 97 

The appropriation for the next biennial period, made by an 
act approved April 8, 1892, was for the amount of seventy- 
eight thousand dollars. This money was to be used for the 
following purposes : — (a) Repairs and equipment for dental 
department, two thousand five hundred dollars, (b) Natural 
science department — botanical $1,200, zoological |1,200, 
geological $1,100 — three thousand five hundred dollars, 
(c) Physical laboratory, two thousand five hundred dollars. 
(fi) General library, five thousand dollars, (e) Additional 
equipment for chemical laboratory, two thousand five hun- 
dred dollars. ( /') Law library, two thousand five hundred 
dollars, (g) Additional equipment for department of phar- 
macy, two thousand five hundred dollars. (A) Pathological 
and bacteriological laboratory, one thousand dollars, (i) 
Histological laboratory, one thousand dollars. (J) Repairs 
and contingent, ten thousand dollars. (F) Additional sup- 
port, $22,500 annually — forty-five thousand dollars.^ 

March 29, 1894, an act was approved appropriating for 
general support and for the development of the institution, 
twenty-five thousand dollars annually thereafter, payable in 
quarterly installments, the first installment to be payable 
September 1, 1894. In addition to this annual appropria- 
tion, the act appropriated twenty -five thousand dollars to be 
used for purposes as follows: — («) Dental department, in- 
firmary and laboratory, five hundred dollars. (l>) General 
library, four thousand dollars, (c) Law library, one thou- 
sand dollars, (d) Physical laboratory, one thousand five 
hundred dollars, (e) Engineering equipment, five hundred 
dollars. (/) Botany, one thousand dollars. (^) Zoology, 

I Laws of Iowa, 1892, pp. 133-134. 



98 STATE AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

one thousand dollars. (A) Geology, one thousand dollars. 
(i) Chemistry, one thousand dollars. (/) Pharmacy, one 
thousand dollars. {^ Histology, five hundred dollars. (/) 
Pathology and bacteriology, one thousand dollars, (m) Re- 
pair and contingent fund, eleven thousand dollars. This 
act further appropriated the sum of twenty-five thousand 
dollars for a dental department, building and equipment. 
It also appropriated fifteen thousand dollars for a Homeo- 
pathic hospital and building.^ 

The act making appropriations for the next biennial period 
was approved April 17, 1896. By this act an appropria- 
tion was made of twelve thousand five hundred dollars an- 
nually thereafter for further support. In addition to this 
amount, the act carried twenty-one thousand dollars for the 
following purposes : — (a) General library, two thousand five 
hundred dollars, {b) Law library, one thousand dollars, 
(c) Physical laboratory, one thousand dollars. ((/) Repair 
and contingent fund, ten thousand dollars, {e) Completion 
and equipment of Homeopathic medical building, four thou- 
sand dollars. ( / ) Completion and equipment of dental build- 
ings, two thousand five hundred dollars.^ 

Before the next meeting of the legislature the University 
was receiving for building purposes the proceeds of the 
special tax levy (treated below) and so the legislature aban- 
doned its former policy of making special appropriations 
for buildings. April 7, 1898, an act was approved appro- 
priating for further support of the University ten thousand 
dollars annually thereafter. The act also appropriated eleven 



1 Laws of Iowa, 1894, pp. 147-149. 

2 Laws of Iowa, 1896, pp. 161-152. 



APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE UNIVERSITY 99 

thousand dollars for special purposes as follows: — (a) Law 
library, one thousand dollars, (b) Repair and contingent 
fund, ten thousand dollars.^ 

By an act approved April 6, 1900, the following appro- 
priations for the University were made: — (a) For further 
and additional support fund, fifty thousand dollars annually 
thereafter, (b) For repair and contingent fund, ten thou- 
sand dollars.^ 

The University support act passed by the Twenty-Eighth 
General Assembly was approved April 12, 1902. By this 
act there was appropriated: — (a) For additional support, 
thirty-five thousand dollars anmially thereafter. (5) For 
land, twenty-three thousand dollars, (c) For the commence- 
ment of a medical building, fifty thousand dollars, {d) For 
repair and contingent fund, five thousand dollars, {e) Equip- 
ment for medical building (the amount to be temporarily 
used for building purposes but later to be replaced from 
building fund coming from the special tax levy) — thirty-five 
thousand dollars. (/) Repair and contingent fund, five 
thousand dollars, (cj) Funds to be used in 1904 for pur- 
chase of land, twenty-seven thousand dollars.^ 

On April 13, 1904, there was approved an act making 
appropriations for the ensuing biennial period as follows : — 
(«) For additional support, twenty-five thousand dollars 
annually thereafter. [l>) For repair and contingent fund, 
seven thousand five hundred dollars annually thereafter. 
(c) For library, twenty thousand dollars. {(I) For equip- 



1 LaviB of Iowa, 1898, p. 92. 
= Laws of Iowa, 1900, p. 112. 
' Laws of Iowa, 1902, p. 141. 



100 STATE AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

ment and supplies, twenty thousand dollars, (e) For pav- 
ing and sidewalks, eight thousand dollars, (f) For tunnel 
and extension, ten thousand dollars, (g) For land, twenty- 
five thousand dollars, (h) For engineering building, fifty 
thousand dollars, (i) For dam and water power, ten thou- 
sand dollars.^ 

A bacteriological laboratory was established in connection 
with the medical college of the University in 1904. The 
act establishing this laboratory was approved April 12, 
1904. It provided that for the support of this work the 
following appropriations be made: — (a) For better equip- 
ment of the bacteriological laboratory already at the State 
University, one thousand dollars, (b) For salaries and other 
expenses, five thousand dollars hienniallyP- 

The last appropriation, herein listed, was made by an act 
approved April 9, 1906. This act added twenty thousand 
dollars annually to the general support fund. It also made 
appropriations as follows: — («) For purchase of additional 
land, twenty-four thousand dollars. (6) Additional wing 
for University hospital, twenty thousand dollars, (c) En- 
gineering shops, hydraulic power house, power connections 
with dam, and equipment, thirty thousand dollars, {d) Equip- 
ment of natural science building, sixteen thousand dollars. 
{e) General equipment and supplies, eight thousand dollars. 
(/) Paving and sidewalks, two thousand five hundred dol- 
lars, {g) Support of libraries, five thousand dollars. {Ji) New 
boiler, three thousand five hundred dollars.^ 



1 Laws of Iowa, 1904, p. 146. 
* Laws of Iowa, 1904, p. 105. 
» Laws of Iowa, 1906, p. 139. 



MILLAGE TAX FOR THE UNIVERSITY 101 

MILLAGE TAX FOE THE STATE UNIVERSITY 

March 17, 1896, the legislature enacted a law levying a 
special tax of one-tenth of a mill on each dollar of assessed 
valuation of the taxable property of the State, for the State 
University. The amount thus raised, up to fifty-five thou- 
sand dollars from any one levy, was to be used for the erec- 
tion, improvement and equipment of such buildings for the 
University as the Board of Regents might determine upon. 
This levy was to commence with the regular levy next follow- 
ing the passage of the act, and continue for the four succes- 
sive following years. The money was to be held by the 
State Treasurer, to be by him paid out in the same manner 
as the special University appropriations. Any amount over 
fifty -five thousand dollars raised by this special tax in any 
year was to go into the State Treasury to become part of the 
general revenue of the State.^ 

The next General Assembly, on April 7, 1898, passed 
an act amending this measure so as to provide for the levy 
of the one-tenth mill tax for six years, instead of five, as 
called for by the original law. Of the fifty-five thousand 
dollars to be raised by the sixth year levy, forty-one thou- 
sand nine hundred dollars was to be used in restoring the 
burned library building and repairing and replacing appara- 
tus injured and destroyed, and in preserving damaged books 
and property.^ The levies provided for in these two acts 
were made in the years 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1900, and 
1901. 

March 2, 1900, an act of the legislature was approved 

1 Laws of Iowa, 1896, p. 117. 

2 Laws of Iowa, 1898, p. 45. 



102 STATE AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

providing for a continuation of this levy for a further five 
years, beginning with 1902.^ But before this levy was made 
(i. e., April 7, 1902), the legislature enacted a measure re- 
pealing the former act, and as a substitute for the levy of 
one -tenth mill providing for a levy of one -fifth mill on the 
dollar of assessed valuation upon the taxable property of the 
State. This levy, like the former one, was for the erection, 
repair and improvement of such necessary buildings as the 
Board of Regents should decide upon. The first levy was 
to be made in ] 902, and successive levies in each of the fol- 
lowing four years. ^ 

The Thirty-First General Assembly continued this fifth 
of a mill tax for University buildings by an act approved 
April 10, 1906. This special tax will continue up to and 
including the levy for the year 1911. One feature of the 
act of 1906 is the provision that the legislature is to have an 
oversight of the expenditure of the funds raised by the levy. 
It provides that no part of such money shall be expended 
for buildings until estimates of cost, plans and specifications 
of such buildings have been submitted to the General As- 
sembly for its approval. An exception to this provision 
lies in the further provision that any deviation from these 
plans and specifications (such deviation not costing more 
than twenty-five thousand dollars, or any emergency build- 
ing, the need for which may arise between the sessions of the 
General Assembly), shall be approved by a majority of the 
Executive Council of the State. ^ 



• Laws of Iowa, 1900, p. 74. 
» Laws of Iowa, 1902, p. 122. 
» Laws of Iowa, 1906, p. 140. 



MILLAGE TAX FOR THE UNIVERSITY 103 

The millage tax now places in tlie hands of the Board of 
Regents of the University about one hundred twenty-five 
thousand dollars annually for the erection of buildings. 

The receipts for the University from this millage tax dur- 
ing the successive biennial periods have been as follows: 

TABLE NO. XVI^ 

June 30, 1897, (rV mill) . . . 27,583.72 

June 30, 1899, 111,494.47 

June 30, 1901, 108,713.28 

June 80, 1903, (i^ij mill, '01, i, '02) . 145,697.06 

June 30, 1905, 247,826.87 

Total to June SO, 1905, . . ' $641,315.40 

The following table shows in condensed and tabulated 
form the total amount of State support granted to the State 
University, dividing this total under the heads of general 
support, special appropriations, and building appropriations. 







TABLE NO. XVII'' 






STATE 


AID TO THE STATE TJNIVEESITY 




TEAR 


GEN. SUPPORT 


SPECIAL AP'nS building AP'nS 


TOTAL STATE AID 


1858 




3,000.00 10,000.00 


13,000.00 


1859 








1860 








1861 








1862 








1863 








1864 








1865 








1866 




8,000.00 13,000.00 


21,000.00 


1867 








1868 









1 See Reports of the State Treasurers. 

2 Census of Iowa, 1905, pp. cxvii-cxviii. 



104 STATE AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 



TEAR 


GEN. SUPPORT 


SPECIAL APN's 


BUILDING APN'S 


TOTAL STATE AID 


1869 


8,287.83 






8,287.83 


18'70 


5,156.08 






5,156.08 


1871 


17,656.09 






17,656.09 


1872 


7,750.00 






7,750.00 


1873 


45,950.00 






45,950.00 


1874 


5,750.00 






5,750.00 


1875 


23,000.00 






23,000.00 


1876 


17,250.00 






17,250.00 


1877 


11,864.24 






11,864.24 


1878 


35,592.76 






35,592.76 


1879 


25,000.00 






25,000.00 


1880 


25,000.00 






25,000.00 


1881 


20,000.00 






20,000.00 


1882 


25,000.00 




20,000.00 


45,000.00 


1883 


25,000.00 




20,000.00 


45,000.00 


1884 


20,000.00 


2,450.00 


29,800.00 


52,250.00 


1885 


28,000.00 


2,450.00 


29,800.00 


60,250.00 


1886 


28,000.00 


24,000.00 




52,000.00 


1887 


28,000.00 


24,000.00 




52,000.00 


1888 


28,000.00 


4,000.00 




32,000.00 


1889 


48,000.00 


6,000.00 




54,000.00 


1890 


48,000.00 


6,000.00 




54,000.00 


1891 


49,949.14 


14,632.75 


24,387.93 


88,969.82 


1892 


45,580.64 


11,720,43 


19,534,04 


76,835.11 


1893 


55,410.13 


19,773.41 


5,455.69 


80,639.23 


1894 


50,657.82 


16,605.22 


175.36 


67,438.40 


1895 


53,402.28 


14,956.11 


20,446.98 


88,805.37 


1896 


53,000.00 


12,320.78 


20,000.00 


85,320.78 


1897 


65,500.00 


12,113.74 


16,500.00 


94,113.74 


1898 


65,500.00 


9,331.29 


45,400.00 


120,231.29 


1899 


75,500.00 


34,298.00 


27,000.00 


136,798.00 


1900 


75,500.00 


19,750.00 


80,000.00 


175,250.00 


1901 


125,500.00 


16,000.02 


77,375.00 


218,875.02 



APPROPRIATIONS FOR AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 105 

TEAR GEN. SUPPORT SPECIAL AP'nS BUILDING AP'nS TOTAL STATE AID 

1902 $125,500.00 SSYjgOO.OS $ 25,275.00 $188,774.98 

1903 160,500.00 10,900.00 113,000.00 284,400.00 

1904 160,500.00 67,000.00 96,080.64 323,580.64 

1905 168,624.99 51,877.14 124,000.00 344,602.13 
roiaZsSl, 856,882. 00 $429,178.87 $817,230,64 $3,103,291.51 

STATE APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 

We have seea in the preceding pages how the State has 
made and is making use of two methods of granting State aid 
to the University — legislative appropriations and a special 
millage tax. These two methods are also used in supporting 
the Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, 
which is located at Ames. 

As was noted above in the discussion of land grants, Iowa 
in accepting the Federal land grant for agricultural colleges 
agreed to found and maintain such an institution. To carry 
out the terms of this agreement, the General Assembly en- 
acted a law, March 22, 1858, providing for the establish- 
ment and support of an Agricultural College and Farm. 
By this law was created all the machinery for supporting and 
governing the College. Not only were the proceeds of the 
Five Section Grant and the Agricultural College Grant ap- 
propriated for the benefit of the College, but the policy was 
entered upon of making special appropriations from the 
State Treasury for this purpose. By section 12, there was 
appropriated out of any moneys in the treasury of the State, 
not otherwise appropriated, the sum of ten thousand dollars 
for the purchase and improvement of land for the College 
and Farm.^ 

1 Laws of Iowa, 1858, pp. 173-179. 



106 STATE AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

The next State appropriation for the Agricultural College 
was made by an act approved March 22, 1864. By it the 
sum of twenty thousand dollars was appropriated to aid in 
the erection of a permanent building for the College. This 
money was for the commencement of a building the entire 
cost of which was not to exceed fifty thousand dollars.^ 

At its next meeting the General Assembly, by an act ap- 
proved April 2, 1866, provided for carrying on the work of 
constructing a permanent building for the Agricultural Col- 
lege. This act appropriated the sum of ninety- one thousand 
dollars "for the purpose of completing the Agricultural 
College buildings, and for the payment of the indebtedness 
against the same." This money was to be expended under 
the direction of the Board of Trustees of the College, and 
was to be drawn from the State Treasury from time to time 
upon their order, in sums not exceeding ten thousand dollars. 
Each amount so drawn was to be expended before any addi- 
tional sum should be drawn. One section of the act was to 
the efl^ect that ' 'neither the Trustees, Building Committee, 
nor any member of the same, nor the Superintendent, shall 
be interested, directly or indirectly, in any contract for labor 
or material on the College building. "^ 

The appropriation for the next biennial period was made 
by an act approved April 3, 1868. By it the amounts ap- 
propriated and their purposes were as follows: — (a) For 
procuring and placing a heating apparatus, cooking range, 
and the necessary fixtures belonging thereto, ten thousand 
dollars, {b) For the purpose of erecting three dwelling 



1 Laws of Iowa, 1864, pp. 69-71. 
= Laws of Iowa, 1866, pp. 120-121. 



APPROPRIATIONS FOR AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 107 

houses for the use and occupancy of the professors employed 
in the College, said buildings to be erected on the College 
Farm under direction of the building committee elected by 
the Board of Trustees, twelve thousand dollars, (c) For 
procuring water, constructing cisterns, and providing clocks 
and bell, two thousand dollars, (d) For grading and lay- 
ing out grounds, procuring and planting trees, and erecting 
the necessary outbuildings, one thousand dollars, (e) To 
pay for extra work on the college building and expenses 
therewith connected, three thousand dollars. (/') For the 
use of the College Farm, to be expended by the Board of 
Trustees, for the following named purposes, to-wit: (1) For 
tile draining of farms, one thousand dollars; (2) for hog- 
house, corn-crib, and hen-house, eight hundred dollars; (3) 
for stable, granary, and tool-house, twenty -five hundred dol- 
lars; (4) for shed for farm machinery, and cellar for roots, 
seven hundred and fifty dollars; (5) for furniture for farm 
house, fifteen hundred dollars; (6) for horses and harness, 
five hundred dollars; (7) for safe to preserve books and rec- 
ords, etc. , twelve hundred dollars ; (8) for farm implements, 
repairing, fencing, etc., twelve hundred dollars; (9) for pro- 
curing road on south side of farm, three hundred dollars. 
The total amount carried by the act was thirty-five thousand 
seven hundred and fifty dollars. Provision was made that 
if the amount appropriated for any of the objects named 
should be insufiicient for such object, the surplus remaining 
from any other object might be used to supply such deficiency. 
The money was to be expended under direction of the Board 
of Trustees of the College, drawn from the State Treasury up- 
on warrants issued by the Auditor of State, upon the re- 



108 STATE AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

quisition of the President of the Board of Trustees. It was 
required of the Trustees that they should make a full report 
to the next General Assembly, showing in detail the manner 
in which this money had been expended.^ 

At this same meeting of the legislature another act was 
passed, approved April 8, 1868, by which the sum of ten 
thousand dollars was appropriated to complete the Iowa State 
Agricultural College building.^ 

At the next session of the General Assembly a law was 
enacted, approved April 13, 1870, by which appropriations 
for the Agricultural College were made as follows: — (a) 
For extending and completing the wings of the College 
building, the sum of fifty thousand dollars, (b) For build- 
ing and completing a laboratory, five thousand dollars, (c) 
For the erection and completion of a workshop for the stu- 
dents, five thousand dollars, (c?) For the erection of a 
building over the gasometer, five hundred dollars, (e) For 
farm improvements, two thousand dollars. (/) For pur- 
chasing seeds and plants for experimental grounds, five hun- 
dred dollars, (g) For the pui'pose of tile-draining, one 
thousand dollars, (k) For professors' dwelling houses, four 
thousand five hundred dollars. The total amount appro- 
priated by this act was $68,500. It was to be drawn from 
the State Treasury and expended in the same manner as that 
appropriated by the preceding legislature.^ 

The appropriation for the next biennial period was made 
by an act approved April 17, 1872. The amounts and pur- 



1 Laws of Iowa, 1868, pp. 107-109. 

2 Laws of Iowa, 1868, pp. 259-260. 
s Laws of Iowa, 1870, pp. 156-157. 



APPROPKIATIONS FOR AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 109 

poses for which they were to be used were the following: — 
(a) For supplying the College building with water, five 
thousand dollars, (b) For fixtures for the new wing, five 
hundred dollars, (c) For the main laboratory building, 
twenty-five thousand dollars, (d) For improvement of or- 
chard, vineyard, and nursery, one thousand dollars, (e) For 
farm, barns, stock, and other farm improvements, seven 
thousand dollars. The total of these several sums was $38, 
500.1 

A special act for the relief of the Agricultural College 
was passed by the next legislature and approved February 
17, 1874. By it five thousand five hundred dollars was set 
aside ' 'to protect the interests of the agricultural college and 
the state" in certain lands known as the Rankin property in 
Polk County.^ Certain liens upon this real estate were thus 
removed. An appropriation of twenty -five thousand dollars 
was also made by an act approved March 19, 1874, for the 
erection of a physical laboratory building.^ 

Other appropriations by this legislature, made March 17, 
1874, were in the sum of thirty-five hundred dollars, for the 
purpose of making certain repairs on the Agricultural Col- 
lege and farm house, and supplying furniture for the same, 
as set forth in the report of a visiting committee which had 
been appointed to visit the institution.* 

The next act making appropriations for the Agricultural 
College was under date of March 17, 1876. The total 



1 Laws of Iowa, 1872, pp. 68-69. 

2 Laws of Iowa, 1874, pp. 5-6. 

= Laws of Iowa, 1874, pp. 67-68. 
* Laws of Iowa, 1874, p. 37. 



110 STATE AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

amount carried by it was $24,820, divided as follows: — • 
(«) For engine house and air ducts, five thousand dollars. 

(b) For heating apparatus complete, fifteen thousand dollars. 

(c) For rebuilding brick walls, one thousand four hundred 
dollars, (d) For repainting building exterior, five hundred 
dollars, [e) For changes and repairs to water closets, six 
hundred dollars. (/') For repairs to interior woodwork, 
four hundred dollars. {</) For painting interior woodwork, 
five hundred dollars, (h) For new gutters and conductors, 
four hundred twenty dollars, (i) For repairs to plastering, 
one thousand dollars.^ 

The next act making appropriations for the Agricultural 
College, approved March 23, 1878, provided for the follow- 
ing sums: — (a) For constructing a sewer for the use of the 
College building, one thousand four hundred seventy-two 
dollars and twenty -five cents, [b) For horticultural labora- 
tory, two thousand five hundred dollars. The total amount 
appropriated was $3,972. 2 5. ^ 

The next General Assembly enacted a law, March 20, 
1880, by which appropriations were made as follows: — (a) 
For a building to be occupied by the schools in agriculture 
and veterinary science and the botanical department, six 
thousand dollars, (b) For buildings to be used as feeding 
barns by the professor of experimental farming, eight hun- 
dred dollars, (c) For swine-houses, corn-cribs, and poultry- 
houses, one thousand two hundred dollars, (d) For two 
boarding cottages, three thousand five hundred dollars, (e) 
For needed repairs upon College buildings and for necessary 

1 Laios of Iowa, 1876, pp. 113-114. 

2 Laws of Iowa, 1878, p. 86. 



APPROPRIATIONS FOR AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE m 

expenses incurred in the management of College lands, the 
sum of one thousand dollars annually thereafter. (/') For 
fitting the building vacated by the schools in veterinary 
science and the botanical dej^artment, so that such building 
could be used for a boarding-hall and for the department of 
domestic economy, five hundred dollars.^ The entire sum 
carried by this act was thirteen thousand dollars. This act 
deserves especial attention in that it first provides for an an- 
nual appropriation for the Agricultural College. 

An act making appropriations for the next biennial period 
was approved March 14, 1882. The purposes for which the 
various amounts were to be used were as follows : — {a) For 
two professors' residences, five thousand dollars, {h) For 
a boarding cottage and an addition to one already erected, 
six thousand five hundred dollars, (c) For a building to be 
occupied by the mechanical and civil engineering department, 
five thousand dollars, {d) For sheep barns, six hundred 
dollars, {e) For experimental creamery, with ice-house and 
cold storage room, one thousand dollars. (/) For three 
cottages for farm foreman, foreman in horticulture, and for 
farm laborer, two thousand one hundred dollars. (</) For 
repairs on highway to Ames, provided citizens contribute as 
much, three hundred dollars, (/i) For a hospital for veteri- 
nary department, five hundred dollars. (^) For experimen- 
tation in agriculture and horticulture, an annual appropria- 
tion of one thousand five hundred dollars. The total amount 
appropriated by this act was $31,000.^ 

The appropriations for the next biennial period, made by 

1 Laws of Iowa, 1880, pp. 57-58. 

2 Laws of Iowa, 1882, pp. 77-78. 



112 STATE AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

an act approved April 5, 1884, were as follows: — (a) For 
building to be occupied by the mechanical and civil engi- 
neering departments, with proper fixtures, seven thousand 
five hundred dollars, (h) For two buildings for the school of 
veterinary science, ten thousand dollars, (c) For gasom- 
eter and repairs of gas works or electric lights, thirty -five 
hundred dollars, (d) For house and barn on north farm, 
fifteen hundred dollars, (e) For pump house and water 
supply, eight hundred dollars. (/) For purchase of house 
occupied by Professor Budd, and addition to same, twenty- 
eight hundred dollars. {(/) For building to contain fire-proof 
vaults and ofiice of treasurer, secretary and president, three 
thousand dollars, (h) For one professor's residence, three 
thousand dollars. The sums total $32, 100.^ 

The next General Assembly appropriated, by an act of 
April 5, 1886, five thousand three hundi'ed dollars, to be 
used as follows: — (a) For engine for electric light system 
and improvement thereof, twenty-three hundred dollars. 
(b) For renewing gas supply and for laboratory extension, 
five hundred dollars. ((■) For general repairs and contin- 
gent fund — not more than one-half to be drawn during the 
year 1886 — twenty-five hundred dollars.^ 

The next act, approved April 9, 1888, appropriated funds 
for the following purposes: — (a) For removing privies and 
water closets from main building and placing the same in 
outside towers, three thousand five hundred dollars, (b) 
For water supply for college hospital and professors' houses 
on college grounds, one thousand dollars, (c) For repair- 

1 Laws of Iowa, 1884, p. 173. 

2 Laws of Iowa, 1886, p. 86. 



APPROPRIATIONS FOR AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 113 

iBg boiler and machinery in electric light and mechanical de- 
partments, five hundred dollars, (d) For repairs and im- 
provement, one thousand dollars annually, added to the al- 
ready existing appropriation of one thousand dollars, mak- 
ing two thousand dollars. The total of these sums was 
17,000.1 

The next General Assembly in 1890 — April 24th — ap- 
propriated fifty thousand dollars for the Agricultural College. 
This amount was to be used for the following purposes: — 
{a) For repairs on main College building and the two board- 
ing halls, five thousand dollars, (b) For boiler, boiler and 
engine house, and steam heating apparatus for engineering 
hall, five thousand dollars, (c) For enlargement and repair 
of the chemical and physical laboratory building, two thou- 
sand dollars, [d) For the repair and improvement of farm 
buildings, including erection of swine house and corn cribs, 
wo thousand dollars, {e) For appliances for protecting 
College building against fire, one thousand dollars. (/') 
For building for museum, library, chapel and recitation 
rooms, and remodeling main building, thirty-five thousand 
dollars. Not more than one-third of this money was to be 
drawn during 1890, and the balance in two equal install- 
ments, the first on or after May 15, 1891 , and the second on 
or after October 15, 1891. ^ 

At the next meeting of the General Assembly a law was 
enacted, making appropriations as follows: — [a) For an as- 
sembly room and for repairs and improvements, twelve 
thousand five hundred dollars, [b) For completion of cream- 

' Laws of Iowa, 1888, p. 164. 

2 Laws of Iowa, 1890, pp. 109-110. 



114 STATE AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

ery and repair of barns, five tliousand dollars, (c) For 
building for agriculture, horticulture, veterinary science and 
agricultural chemistry, thirty-five thousand dollars, (cl) 
For repairing an extension of steam heating and electric 
light plant, three thousand dollars, (e) For repairing an 
extension of water works, one thousand dollars. This act 
was approved April 8, 1892.^ 

The twenty -fifth General Assembly entered more fully 
upon the plan of appropriating a certain and considerable 
amount not only for one biennial period, but as an annual 
appropriation. By an act approved March 29, 1894, this 
General Assembly enacted that the sum of fifteen thousand 
dollars be appropriated annually thereafter for repairs, gen- 
eral improvements, and current expenses at the Iowa State 
Agricultural College. The first of these annual payments 
was to be made September 1, 1894. This act further ap- 
propriated the following sums: — (ci) For an experimental 
barn, four thousand dollars, not more than one-half to be 
drawn before October 15, 1894. {b) For a ladies' hall, 
forty-five thousand dollars, the first half not to be drawn un- 
til on or after April 15, 1895, and the second half not to be 
drawn until on or after October 15, 1895. ^ At the next 
meeting of the legislature, the act, approved April 10, 1896, 
making appropriations for the Agricultural College carried 
the following amounts: — {a) Emergency fund for deep well, 
fifteen thousand dollars, {h) Equipment of water works, 
twenty-one thousand dollars, (c) Greenhouse, six thousand 
dollars. {(T) Forge shops and foundry with fix;tures, five 

1 Laws of Iowa, 1892, pp. 117-118. 
= Laws of Iowa, 1894, pp. 142-143. 



APPROPRIATIONS FOR AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 1 1 5 

thousand dollars, (e) Farm barns, four thousand dollars. 
(/) Sewerage disposal system, thirty-five hundred dollars. 
The total amount thus appropriated, in addition to the an- 
nual appropriation made by the preceding Greneral Assembly, 
was $54, 500.1 

An act was approved two years later, April 6, 1898, by 
which the sum of five thousand dollars was appropriated to 
be used for building a carpenter shoj> on the Agricultural 
College grounds.^ 

The Twenty-Eighth Greneral Assembly, by an act approved 
April 6, 1900, increased the amount of the annual appro- 
priation, by the addition of twenty -five thousand dollars an- 
nually thereafter^ for repairs, general improvements, and 
current expenses. This sum was to be paid in quarterly in- 
stallments, the first installment being paid July 1, 1900. By 
this act further appropriations were made, as follows: — (<:/) 
For president's residence, ten thousand dollars. (Z") For 
horse barn and stock pavilion, twelve thousand dollars, (c) 
For purchase of pure bred stock, ten thousand dollars, {d) 
For general engineering hall, eighty-five thousand dollars. 
Twenty -five thousand dollars of the sum for ' 'general engi- 
neering hall" was not to be available before November 1, 
1901. At the next session of the legislature, April 12, 1902, 
there was added to the general support fund the sum of 
thirty -five thousand dollars annually thereafter \ also ten 
thousand dollars annually thereafter for the support of the 
experiment station. Further appropriations, to the amount 
of forty-five thousand dollars, were made for the following 

1 iaios of Iowa, 1896, pp. 137-138. 
- Laws of Iowa, 1898, p. 89. 



116 STATE AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

purposes: — (cc) For commencing barn, five thousand dollars. 
(/>) For the purchase of live stock, five thousand ' dollars. 
(c) For commencement of a central building, thirty-five 
thousand dollars.^ 

April 13, 1904, there was aj)proved an act making appro- 
priations for the Agricultural College. There was added 
to the general support fund the sum of fifty thousand dollars 
annually thereafter^ and for the support of the experiment 
station, fifteen thousand dollars annually tliereafter. Further 
appropriations made by this act were: — {a) For the central 
building, ninety-five thousand dollars, to be used (1) for 
restoring dome, twenty -two thousand dollars, (2) for restora- 
tion of granite for base and steps, twelve thousand dollars, 
(3) for heating, lighting, plumbing and fixtures, twenty- 
nine thousand dollars, and (4) for furnishings, thirty-two 
thousand dollars, {h) The sum of fifty-four thousand five 
hundred dollars, to be used (1) for central heating plant and 
chimney, twenty -five thousand dollars, and (2) for equipment 
for central heating plant, tunnel to central building and 
Morrill hall, and for wreckage of old building and transfer- 
ing boilers to new building, twenty-nine thousand five hun- 
dred dollars, (c) The sum of eighty-four thousand five 
hundred dollars, to be used (1) for dairy building, forty- 
five thousand dollars, (2) for equipment of dairy building, 
ten thousand dollars, (3) for land, twenty-two thousand 
dollars, (4) for herd, equipment of dairy farm, seven thou- 
sand dollars, and (5) for poultry and equipment of dairy 
farm, five hundred dollars, [d) The sum of seven thousand 
dollars to be used for good roads experimentation, (e) The 



1 Laws of Iowa. 1902, p. 141. 



MILLAGE TAX FOR AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 117 

sum of six thousand dollars for the benefit of tlie engineer- 
ing department. (/) The sum of four thousand five hun- 
dred dollars annually thereafter for the additional support 
of the repair fund. ^ 

The appropriation for the Agricultural College for the 
present biennial period was made by an act approved April 
9, 1906. It added to the annual endowment fund the sum 
of thirty -five thousand nine hundred dollars, to be divided 
as follows: — {a) For general support, twenty -five thousand 
dollars, {h) Support of engineering department station, 
three thousand five hundred dollars, (c) Purchase of books 
and periodicals, two thousand four hundred dollars. {(V) 
Good roads experimentation, five thousand dollars. This 
bill also appropriated twenty-six thousand six hundred dol- 
lars for the following purposes: — (a) Equipment of college 
departments, five thousand dollars. (^) Buildings and equip- 
ment of dairy farm and poultry plant, ten thousand dollars, 
(c) Purchase of additional land, eleven thousand dollars. 
{d) Cataloger for five years, per year six hundred dollars.^ 

MILLAGE TAX FOR AGEICULTUEAL COLLEGE 

The millage tax for the State University proved to be so 
satisfactory as a means of raising funds for the erection of 
buildings for that institution that the Twenty -Eighth Gen- 
eral Assembly, February 28, 1900, enacted a law establish- 
ing a similar millage tax for the Iowa State College of Agri- 
culture and Mechanic Arts. By this law it was enacted that 
there should be levied upon the assessed valuation of the 

1 Laws of Iowa, 1G04, pp. 145-146. 
« Laws of Iowa, 1906, pp. 138-139. 



118 STATE AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

taxable property of the State a sj)ecial tax of one-tenth of a 
mill on the dollar of such valuation. The money thus raised 
was to be used for the erection, improvement, and equipment 
of buildings for the Iowa State College of Agriculture and 
the Mechanic Arts. The Board of Trustees of that college 
was given j)ower to say as to what buildings were to be erect- 
ed with these funds. This levy was to commence with' the 
first general levy after the passage of the act, and should 
continue for four successive years thereafter. The proceeds 
of the tax, to the amount of fifty -five thousand dollars in any 
one year, were to be carried into the State Treasury to the 
credit of the Agricultural College. Any amount above such 
a sum was to go into the State Treasury for general pur- 
poses.^ It was the intention that the money thus I'aised 
should be in lieu of any and all appropriations for erection, 
improvement, and equipment of necessary buildings for the 
College during the five year period, except such as were 
provided for in section 1 of chapter 152 of the acts of this 
same Greneral Assembly. 

AVhen the next Assembly met it seemed that the amount 
of money raised by this special tax was not sufiicient to meet 
the needs of the institution, and consequently, on April 7, 
1902, a law was enacted which repealed the law of February 
28, 1900. Instead of the former levy of one-tenth mill, this 
act provided for a levy of one-fifth mill on the dollar of as- 
sessed valuation of the taxable property of the State to be 
collected, cared for, and expended in the same way and for 
the same purposes as were set down in the previous law. 



Laws of Iowa, 1900, p. 75. 



MILLAGE TAX FOR AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 119 

This one-fifth mill levy was to be first made in the year 1902, 
and in the four successive years thereafter.^ 

The Thirty-first General Assembly, by an act approved 
April 10, 1906, continued the levy of one-fifth mill on the 
dollar of taxable property of Iowa for a further five year 
period. The first levy under this new law is to be that for 
the year 1907. The General Assembly established the same 
limiting restrictions as to the expenditure of the funds aris- 
ing from this special tax as was established in regard to the 
University special tax. No part of such funds was to be 
expended without first submitting to the General Assembly 
for its approval estimates of costs, plans, and specifications 
of the building contemplated. Provision was made, how- 
ever, that there might be deviation from the estimated cost 
of an approved building, or any emergency building, not 
exceeding twenty-five thousand dollars, if such deviation 
should be necessary between sessions of the legislature. Such 
expenditure must have first secured a majority vote of the 
Executive Council of Iowa. This act also authorized the 
erection at Ames of a new building, to be known as the Hall 
of Agriculture, and to cost including heating, lighting and 
plumbing, not to exceed two hundred and fifty thousand 
dollars. Estimates of cost, plans and specifications of this 
building were to be approved by a majority of the Execu- 
tive Council. 2 

The following table shows the amounts raised during the 
successive biennial periods by the millage tax for the Iowa 
State CoUe2;e of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts. 



Laws of Iowa, 1902, p. 123. 
Laws of Iowa, 1906, pp. 140-141. 



120 STATE AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

TABLE NO. XVIII^ 

June 30, 1901, (iV mill) . . . $30,498.91 

June 30, 1903 143,964.61 

June 30, 1905 247,688.16 

Total to June 30, 1905 . . $422,151.68 

Following is a table showing the entii'e amounts of State 
aid to the Iowa State College of Agriculture and the Me- 
chanic Arts since 1858. The amounts for each year and the 
total amounts are shown for each of the following items; viz. 
(a) general support, (b) buildings, improvements, repair, etc., 
(c) experiment station, and (d) total. 

TABLE NO. XIX^ 

STATE AID TO AGEICULTUKAL COLLEGE 

TEAR GEN. SUPPORT BUILDINGS, IMPROVE- EXP. STATION TOTAL 

MBNTS, REPAIR, ETC. 

1858 827,000.00 $27,000.00 

1859 

1860 

1861 

1862 

1863 

1864 20,000.00 20,000.00 

1865 

1866 91,000.00 91,000.00 

1867 

1868 47,750.00 47,750.00 

1869 

1870 68,500.00 68,500.00 

1871 

1872 38,500.00 38,500.00 

1873 



^ Biennial Reports of State Treasurers 
2 Census o/ Iowa, 1905, pp. oxix-cxx. 



MILL AGE TAX FOR AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 121 



TEAR 


GEN. SUPPORT 


BUILDINGS, IMPROVE- 
MENTS, REPAIR, ETC. 


EXP. STATION 


TOTAL 


1874 




% 14,742.36 




% 14,742.36 


1875 




13,597.64 




13,597.64 


1876 




20,995.00 




20,995.00 


1877 




3,925.00 




3,925.00 


1878 










1879 




3,972.25 




3,972 25 


1880 




10,937.98 




10,937.98 


1881 




3,276.50 




3,276.50 


1882 




13,549.12 




13,549.12 


1883 




13,087.34 




13,087.34 


1884 




14,707.86 




14,707.86 


1885 




28,295.36 




28,295.36 


1886 




5,150.00 




5,150.00 


1887 




5,150.00 




5,150.00 


1888 




6,000.00 




6,000.00 


1889 




6,000.00 




6,000.00 


1890 




10,918.73 




19,918.73 


1891 




38,672.04 




38,672.04 


1892 




39,989.33 




39,989.33 


1893 




30,419.38 




30,419.38 


1894 




28,588.45 




28,588.45 


1895 




46,278.12 




46,278.12 


1896 




36,912.63 




36,912.63 


1897 




37,232.10 




37,232.10 


1898 




20,039.86 




20,039.86 


1899 




30,202.69 




30,202.69 


1900 




25,243.78 




25,243.78 


1901 


% 25,000.00 


100,625.28 




125,625.28 


1902 


25,000.00 


113,088.77 




138,088.77 


1903 


60,000.00 


140,924.06 


$10,000.00 


210,924.06 


1904 


80,000.00 


142,017.51 


13,125.00 


235,142.51 


1905 


100,416.66 


241,693.14 


25,000.00 


367,109.80 


Totals 


1290,416.66 


11,538,982.28 


148,125.00$: 


1,877,523.94 



122 STATE AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

STATE APPEOPEIATIONS FOR THE STATE NORMAL SCHOOL 

The act by which a State Normal School was establish ed^ 
approved March 17, 1876, provided for legislative appro- 
priations for such Normal School. The sum of fourteen 
thousand five hundred dollars was set aside for the establish- 
ment and maintenance of the institution. This sum was 
divided as follows: — (a) For necessary improvement and re- 
repairs, three thousand dollars, (b) For salaries of teachers 
and employes, ten thousand dollars, (c) For contingent ex- 
penses, fifteen hundred dollars. Beside this money, the 
State turned over to the State Normal School the buildings 
at Cedar Falls which had been used for a soldiers' orphans' 
home.^ 

At the next meeting of the General Assembly a law was 
enacted, March 25, 1878, which appropriated the sum of 
thirteen thousand five hundred dollars for the maintenance 
of the School for the next biennial period. This money 
was to be paid in eight quarterly installments, the first one 
to be made July 1, 1878.^ 

The amount of the appropriation for the next two years 
was twenty-seven thousand seven hundred dollars. The act 
making it was approved March 20, 1880. The amount speci- 
jBed was to be used for the following purposes: — (a) For the 
payment of teachers, thirteen thousand seven hundred dol- 
lars, to be paid in eight equal quarterly payments commenc- 
ing July 1, 1880. (b) For repairs and improvements, two 
thousand dollars, to be paid in two equal annual payments 
to be made July 1, 1880, and July 1, 1881. (c) For library 

» Laws of Iowa, 1876, pp. 118-120. 
' Laws of Iowa, 1878, pp. 129-130. 



APPROPRIATIONS FOR NORMAL SCHOOL 123 

and apparatus, one thousand dollars to be paid July 1, 1880. 
(d) For contingencies, one thousand dollars.^ 

The next General Assembly enacted a measure, March 14, 
1882, by which forty-nine thousand five hundred dollars was 
appropriated for the State Normal School. The items for 
which this money was to be used were as follows: — (a) For 
teachers' salaries, fifteen thousand five hundred dollars, (b) 
For repairs and improvements, two thousand dollars, (c) 
For library and apparatus, one thousand dollars, (d) For 
contingent expenses, one thousand dollars, (e) For a new 
building, the plans and specifications to be approved by the 
Executive Council, thirty thousand dollars. Not more than 
one-half of the total amount appropriated was to be drawn 
during the year 1882.^ 

The legislative appropriations for the next biennial period, 
made by an act approved April 1, 1884, fixed twenty-seven 
thousand dollars as the amount to be expended for the Nor- 
mal School as follows: — (a) For teachers' salaries, nineteen 
thousand dollars, (b) For repairing boilers, three thousand 
dollars, (c) For general repairs and improvements, twenty- 
eight hundred dollars, (d) For school furniture, one thou- 
sand dollars, (e) For library and apparatus, one thousand 
dollars. (/) For contingent fund, one thousand dollars. 
The act specified the dates at or after which these several 
amounts were to be drawn from the ti'easury.^ 

The next legislature, by an act approved April 9, 1886, 
made appropriations for the State Normal School for the 



1 Laws of Iowa, 1880, pp. 60-61. 
'Laws of Iowa, 1882, pp. 83-84. 
= Laws of Iowa, 1884, pp. 123-124. 



124 STATE AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

following purposes: — (a) For salaries, twenty-one thousand 
six hundred dollars, (b) For apparatus, one hundred dollars, 
(c) For steam-heating, two hundred dollars, (d) For repairs 
and fire escapes, one thousand dollars, (e) For coal sheds, 
two hundred dollars. (/') For sewerage, one hundred and 
fifty dollars, {g) For contingent fund, one thousand dol- 
lars. The entire sum appropriated was $25,200.^ 

The act making the next biennial appropriations for the 
Normal School was approved April 11, 1888. The amount 
appropriated was thirty thousand two hundred dollars. This 
was to be used for purposes as follows: — (a) For teachers' 
fund, twenty-three thousand dollars, (b) For a regular con- 
tingent fund, two thousand three hundred dollars, (c) For 
library and chemical apparatus, one thousand dollars, (d) 
For a new piano, four hundred dollars, (e) For repairs to 
steam heating apparatus, five hundred dollars. ( /) For re- 
pairs of old building, two thousand dollars, (g) For sewer- 
age and ventilation, one thousand dollars. Not more than 
half of this money was to be drawn during 1888, and the 
balance in two equal installments, the first on or after April 
1, 1889, and the second on or after July 1, 1889.^ 

By another act, approved the same date, the directors of 
the Normal School were directed to contract with the City 
of Cedar Falls for water supply, and to provide necessary 
apparatus and means for using such water. For these pur- 
poses, the sum of seven thousand one hundred dollars was 
appropriated from the State Treasury.^ 

1 Laws of Iowa, 1886, p. 133. 
= Laws of Iowa, 1888, p. 162. 
= Laws of Iowa, 1888, p. 163. 



APPROPRIATIONS FOR NORMAL SCHOOL 125 

In 1890, by an act approved April 16, the legislature first 
made use of the plan of making appropriations annually 
thereafter for the Normal School. At this time there was 
appropriated the sum of fifteen thousand dollars annually 
as endowment fund for the payment of teachers, and twenty- 
five hundred dollars annually for a regular contingent fund. 
The money of both these funds was to be drawn quarterly. 
In addition to these funds, this act appropriated seventeen 
thousand six hundred dollars for the following purposes: — 
(a) For library and apparatus, four thousand dollars. (J) 
For repairs on buildings and for boilers and steam heating, 
five thousand dollars, (c) For platform scales, one hundred 
dollars, {d) For President's cottage and furnishing same, 
six thousand dollars, (e) For cold storage room, five hun- 
dred dollars. ( / ) For laundry and appliances, one thousand 
dollars, {g) For water rents and water, one thousand dol- 
lars.^ 

A law enacted by the next General Assembly, April 9, 
1892, added two thousand five hundred dollars to the an- 
nual fund for the payment of teachers, and five hundred 
dollars annually to the contingent fund. Additional special 
appropriations, amounting to seventeen thousand seven hun- 
dred dollars, were as follows: — (a) For library and appara- 
tus, fifteen hundred dollars. (Z>) For repairs and steam heat- 
ing, nine thousand dollars, {c) For water rents, twelve hun- 
dred dollars, {d) For military instruction, one thousand dol- 
lars, (e) For sewerage, five thousand dollars.^ 

Special appropriations for the next biennium, made by an 

1 Laws of Iowa, 1890, pp. 110-111. 
s Xaics 0/ Iowa, 1892, pp. 132-1.S3. 



126 STATE AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

act approved Marcli 30, 1894, were as follows: — (a) For 
librarian, one thousand dollars, (b) For military instruction, 
one thousand dollars, (c) For additional repair and contin- 
gent fund, five thousand dollars, (d) For teachers' fund, 
additional, ten thousand dollars, (e) For library and appara- 
tus, three thousand dollars; and for a new building, thirty 
thousand dollars. The total sum specially provided was 
fifty thousand dollars.^ 

The law making appropriations for the next biennial 
period, approved April 17, 1896, carried with it forty-eight 
thousand dollars for the State Normal School. The uses 
and amounts of the various sums were: — (a) Additional for 
teachers' fund, twenty -two thousand dollars, (b) Additional 
contingent fund, twelve thousand dollars, (c) Library, one 
thousand dollars, (d) For repairs, two thousand dollars. 
(e) Librarian and assistant, one thousand dollars. (/) Mili- 
tary instruction, one thousand dollars. (^) Addition to boil- 
er house, new boilers and steam heating, three thousand 
dollars. (A) Sewer, five thousand dollars. (^) Library furni- 
ture, five hundred dollars, (j) Biological laboratory and 
apparatus, five hundred dollars.^ 

For support and maintenance of the Normal School dur- 
ing the next biennium, the following appropriations were 
made by an act approved April 7, 1898. — (a) For repairs, 
two thousand dollars, (b) For library, one thousand dollars, 
(c) For librarian and assistant, one thousand dollars, (d) 
For military instructor, one thousand dollars, (e) For addi- 
tional teachers' fund, nine thousand dollars. The total 



1 Lmos of Iowa, 1894, pp. 144-145. 
« Laws of Iowa, 1896, pp. 145-146. 



APPROPRIATIONS FOR NORMAL SCHOOL 127 

amount of these special appropriations was fourteen thou- 
sand dollars.^ 

The nest General Assembly made further additions to 
the annual appropriations, for the payment of teachers, six- 
teen thousand five hundred dollars additional annually^ and 
for contingent expenses, five thousand dollars additional 
annually. Special appropriations were made to the amount 
of one hundred twenty-four thousand eight hundred dollars, 
for the following purposes: — («) For other expenses, three 
thousand dollars. (^) For repairs, three thousand dollars, 
(c) For library, three thousand dollars, {d) For military in- 
struction, sixteen hundred dollars, (el For librarian and 
assistant, twenty-two hundred dollars. (/) For summer 
term, twelve thousand dollars, (g) For a new building, one 
hundred thousand dollars. The law making such provisions 
was of the date April 6, 1900. ^ 

The next legislature, by an act approved April 12, 1902, 
made further annual appropriations for the Normal School, 
to the amount of twelve thousand five hundred dollars. This 
sum included for the ipayment of teachers, seven thousand 
five hundred dollars additional annually ^ and for contingent 
expenses, five thousand dollars annually. An annual ap- 
propriation of seven thousand dollars for summer term was 
also made. This act also made special appropriations amount- 
ing to $45,269.35, to be expended as follows: — (a) For re- 
pairs, three thousand dollars. (J) For library, three thou- 
sand dollars, (c) For military instruction, sixteen hundred 
dollars, {d) For librarian and assistants, four thousand dol- 

1 Laws ofloma, 1898, p. 91. 

' Laws of Iowa, 1900, pp. 112-113. 



128 STATE AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

lars. (e) For repairs on buildings, three thousand dollars. 
(/) For grading and improvement of grounds, five hundred 
dollars, (y) For street paving, three thousand dollars. (Ii) 
For extension of heating plant, seven thousand seventy-three 
dollars and twenty-nine cents, (i) For extension of water 
mains and fire protection, one thousand ninety-six dollars 
and six cents. (J) For furnishing buildings, ten thousand 
dollars. (F) For janitors, firemen, and fuel, two thousand 
dollars, (l) For additional boilers and heating capacity, 
seven thousand dollars.^ 

The next legislature added thirty-five thousand dollars to 
the annual appropriation for the Normal School. As speci- 
fied in the appropriating act, approved April 13, 1904, twenty 
thousand dollars of this amount was for the payment of 
teachers, and fifteen thousand dollars for contingent expenses. 
The special appropriations were in the sum of eighteen 
thousand dollars, for the following purposes: — (a) For libra- 
rian and two assistants, five thousand dollars, (b) For library, 
five thousand dollars, (c) For improvement of grounds, 
three thousand dollars, (d) For fuel, three thousand seven 
hundred fifty dollars, (e) For engineer, firemen, and night 
watchman, one thousand two hundred fifty dollars. As had 
been the case with several preceding appropriations, part of 
these sums were immediately available, while part were to 
be drawn only on or after some specified future date.^ 

At the last meeting of the legislature an act was passed 
and approved April 9, 1906, as a result of which the annual 
appropriation for the State Normal School was increased 

1 Laws of Iowa, 1902, pp. 140-142. 
^ Laws of Iowa, 1904, pp. 145-147. 



MILLAGE TAX FOR NORMAL SCHOOL 129 

by six thousand dollars. This amount was to be divided 
(a) for payment of teachers, five thousand dollars, and (b) 
for summer term, one thousand dollars. The same act also 
made special appropriations to the amount of six thousand 
dollars. The division of this sum was to be as follows: — 
(a) For librarian and two assistants, two thousand dollars. 
(6) For library, twenty-five hundred dollars, (c) For paving, 
permanent walks, and improvement of grounds, fifteen hun- 
dred dollars.^ 

MILLAGE TAX FOE NORMAL SCHOOL 

Four years after the millage tax was first used for the 
State University, two years after the law was passed estab- 
lishing such a tax for the Agricultural College, the General 
Assembly, April 9, 1902, enacted a law providing a similar 
tax for the State Normal School at Cedar Falls. By this 
act one-tenth of a mill tax was to be levied upon each dollar 
of assessed valuation of the taxable property of the State, 
the money to be used for the erection, repair and improve- 
ment, and equipment of such necessary buildings as the 
Board of Trustees should decide upon. This levy was to 
be made first with the levy for State purposes in 1902, and 
for four successive years thereafter. This money was to be 
held by the Treasurer of the State, to be drawn upon requisi- 
tion of the Board of Trustees of the Normal School.^ 

The special millage tax had proved very satisfactory in 
the cases of all three of the State educational institutions, 
and at the expiration of the five years for which it had been 
established for the Normal School the General Assembly 



1 Laws of Iowa, 1906, pp. 138-139. 
' Laws of Iowa, 1902, pp. 72-73. 



130 STATE AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

renewed it for a second period of five years. This was done 
by an act approved April 10, 1906. The first levy under 
this new law will be in 1907. The same conditions as to 
approval by the General Assembly of estimates of cost, plans 
and specifications of buildings to be erected were estab- 
lished as before noted in the cases of the millage taxes for 
the State University and the Agricultural College.^ The 
millage tax now brings into the Normal School treasury ap- 
proximately one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars bi- 
ennially for building purposes. 

The amounts raised for the State Normal School by this 
special levy are shown, by biennial periods, by the follow- 
ing table: 

TABLE NO. XX^ 

June 30, 1903 . . . . $ 32,645.78 

June 30, 1905 123,272.08 

Total to June SO, 1905, . . $155,917.86 

The following table shows the amount of support received 
by the Iowa State Normal School during each biennial 
period, the various columns of the table showing the amounts 
received (a) for general support, (h) as special miscellaneous 
funds, (c) as special building funds, and (d') the total State 
appropriations received. 

TABLE NO. XXI^ 
STATE AID TO NORMAL SCHOOL 



BIENNIUM 


SUPPORT 


SPECIAL MISC. 


SPECIAL BUILDING TOTAL 






F0NDS 


FUNDS 


1876-'77 


$ 5,750.00 


$ 3,000.00 


$ 8,750.00 


1877-'79 









^Laws of Iowa, 1906, p. 142. 

' Biennial Reports of State Treasurers. 

' Census of Iowa, 1905, p. cxxi. 



AID TO COUNTY INSTITUTES 



131 



BIENNIUM 


SUPPORT 


SPECIAL MISC. 


SPECIAL BUILDING TOTAL 






FUNDS 


FUNDS 




1879-'81 


% 14,600.00 


% 2,000.00 




% 16,600.00 


1881-'83 


15,598.50 


4,000.00 


% 29,972.62 


49,571.12 


1883-'85 


22,750.00 


4,800.00 




27,550.00 


1885-'87 


22,800.00 


1,650.00 




24,450.00 


1887-'89 


28,550.00 


12,000.00 




40,550.00 


1889-'91 


25,675.00 


11,833.31 




37,508.31 


1891-'93 


52,191.51 


15,566.69 




67.758.20 


1893-'95 


61,097.23 


5,059.40 


13,700.00 


79,856.63 


1895-'97 


89,159.52 


10,763.52 


24,986.97 


124,910.01 


1897-'99 


106,180.06 


11,200.00 




117,380.06 


1899-'01 


133,827.36 


10,615.40 


56,839.07 


201,281.83 


1901-'03 


184,498.73 


50,323.53 


79,859.48 


314,681.74 


1903-'05 


233,013.74 


17,423.48 


139,233.70 


389,670.92 


Totals 


$995,691.65 


$160,235.33 


$344,591.84 


$1,500,578.82 




AID 


TO COUNTY INSTITUTES 





The Seventh General Assembly passed an act, approved 
March 12, 1858, reorganizing the system of public instruc- 
tion in Iowa. In this act it was provided that whenever 
not less than thirty teachers should desire to assemble to 
hold a teachers' institute of not less than six working days 
duration, the State Superintendent should appoint a time 
and place for holding such meeting. For procuring teachers 
and lecturers for such institute, the Superintendent was to 
receive from the State Treasury a sum not exceeding one 
hundred dollars for any one institute. This was to be trans- 
mitted to the County Superintendent of the county in which 
any such institute might be held, to be paid out as the in- 
stitute might direct. This act appropriated one thousand 
dollars per annum for meeting the expense of teachers' in- 
stitute.^ 



1 iciios of Iowa, 1858, pp. 57-88. 



132 STATE AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 

This was an act passed by the State legislature. But the 
new Constitution, adopted August 3, 1857, had stipulated 
that the Board of Education should have full power and 
authority to legislate and make all needful rules and regula- 
tions in relation to common schools and all other educational 
institutions receiving aid from the school or university fund. 
There was reserved to the legislature only the power to alter, 
amend, or repeal such acts, rules and regulations.^ Hence the 
Supreme Court of the State decided, December 9, 1858, that, 
as the General Assembly possessed no primary power to pass 
laws providing for the public instruction of the State until 
the Board of Education was elected and organized, this act, 
in so far as it provided for a system of education for the 
State, was unconstitutional, and therefore void.^ 

When, however, the Board of Education met on Decem- 
ber 24, 1858, they enacted this same act in most of its es- 
sential features, except that the duties set down in the former 
act as devolving upon the Superintendent of Public Instruc- 
tion should devolve upon the Secretary of the Board of 
Education.^ The annual appropriation of one thousand dol- 
lars for institutes stood, as made by the act of the legisla- 
ture of March 12, 1858. 

On March 19, 1864, the legislature abolished the Board 
of Education. Provision was then made that, whenever the 
County Superintendent of any county should give reason- 
able assurance to the Superintendent of Public Instruction 
that twenty teachers desired to assemble to hold an institute 



^ Constitution of 1S57, Art. ix, Part first, Sec. 8. 

« Iowa Reports, Vol. VII, pp. 262-287. 

' Journal of the Board of Education, 1st Session, p. 29. 



AID TO COUNTY INSTITUTES 133 

in such county, to be not less than six working days in dura- 
tion, a time and place for such a meeting should be appoint- 
ed. There was appropriated by this act a sum not to exceed 
fifty dollars annually for one such institute in each county. 
This money was to be used by the County Superintendent 
to defray the expenses of the institute. If any balance re- 
mained it was to be paid into the county treasury, and be 
credited to the Teachers' Fund.^ 

In 1874, March 19, it was provided that each County 
Superintendent should hold annually a normal institute for 
the instruction of teachers and those who might desire to 
teach. It was to be held at such time as most of the schools 
in the county were closed. To defray the expenses of the 
institute, one dollar was to be paid for each certificate issued, 
and one dollar registration fee for each person attending. 
It was further provided that the County Superintendent 
should monthly, and at the close of each institute, transmit 
to the County Treasurer all moneys so received, including 
the State appropriation, to be designated the "institute 
fund." Furthermore, power was given to the Board of 
Supervisors to appropriate any additional sum which they 
might deem necessary for the further support of such insti- 
tute. All disbursements from this fund were to be only for 
services rendered or for expenses incurred in connection with 
the normal institute, and could be made only upon the order 
of the County Superintendent.^ This is the law relative to 
county institutes which is in force at the present time. Un- 
der its provisions an annual institute is held in each of the 



1 Laws of Iowa, 1864, pp. 53-56. 
" Laws of Iowa, 1874, p. 45. 



134 



STATE AID TO EDUCATION IN IOWA 



ninety-nine counties of the State. The numbers of insti- 
tutes held in Iowa under these various laws are as follows: — 



1858—20 
1859—14 
1860—34 
1861—43 
1862 — 44 
1868—62 
1864—63 
1865—59 
1866— 6Y 
1867—67 
1868—65 
1869—74 
1870—78 
1871—78 
1872—83 
1873—85 



TABLE NO. XXII 

1874—92; 1 did not get |£ 
L875 — 99; 2 did not get $5 
L876— 98; 2 did not get |£ 
1877—99 
1878—99 
1879—99 
L880— 99 
1881—98 
1882—99 
L883— 99 
1884—99 
1885—99 
3—99 
1887—99 

888—99 

889—99 



1890—99 
1891—99 
1892—99 
1893—99 
1894—99 
1895—99 
1896—99 
1897—99 
1898—99 
1899—99 
1900—99 
1901—99 
1902—99 
1903—99 
1904—99 
1905—99 



The following table, compiled from the reports of the 
Auditor of State, gives the amounts of money expended by 
the State for the support of county institutes during the 
successive biennial periods : 



TABLE NO. XXIII 



November 6, 1859 
November 3, 1861 
November 1, 1863 
November 4, 1865 
November 2, 1867 
November 1, 1869 
November 4, 1871 
November 1, 1873 



$ 1,799.60 
3,400.00 
4,850.00 
6,250.00 
6,650.00 
6,550.00 
8,600.00 
8,150.00 



AID TO COUNTY INSTITUTES 



135 



October 30, 1875 
September 30, 1877 
September 80, 1879 
September 30, 1881 
June 30, 1883 
June 30, 1885 
June 30, 1887 
June 30, 1889 
June 30, 1891 
June 30, 1893 
June 30, 1895 
June 30, 1897 
June 30, 1899 
June 30, 1901 
June 30, 1903 
June 30, 1905 

Total 



10,250.00 

9,950.00 

9,850.00 

9,900.00 

5,500.00 

9,700.00 

10,450.00 

9,250.00 

10,650.00 

10,900.00 

8,650.00 

9,900.00 

10,300.00 

10,100.00 

10,250.00 

10,200.00 



$202,049.60 

It would be interesting and of considerable value to in- 
vestigate the expenditure of the money granted by the State 
to county institutes, but it is not the function of this paper 
to discuss the expenditure of educational money. The 
county institute in Iowa is reaching more or less eificiently 
a large number of rural teachers who perhaps would not 
otherwise receive any special educational training for their 
teaching work. 



PART III 

SOME COMPARISONS WITH OTHER 

STATES 

There are many problems which arise in any considerable 
study of Federal and State aid to education ; and there are 
numerous and important diflferences in the administration of 
funds granted for educational purposes by the National and 
the State governments. In a brief discussion such as is con- 
templated in the present paper it is possible to consider only 
a few of the many interesting questions arising from a com- 
parison of conditions in Iowa with those of other States. 
These conditions vary in many respects. In the handling 
of some of her educational problems Iowa profited by the 
experience of States that had previously struggled with 
similar difficulties. Not in all respects, however, have the 
actions of this State been based upon sound wisdom. In 
some of the newer States it is not yet too late to profit by 
some of Iowa's mistakes. Nor is it too late for Iowa herself 
to rectify some of the mistakes of youth and inexperience; 
for when future generations shall look back two or three 
centuries to the present time they will recognize the fact 
that now at the beginning of the twentieth century we are 
only laying the foundations of a great public educational 



It is the purpose of this paper to discuss briefly some con- 
ditions in other States as compared or contrasted with the 
same class of conditions in Iowa. Some States have received 



THE FEDERAL LAND GRANTS 137 

and used for educational purposes larger or smaller Federal 
grants of land than has Iowa. Grants of land diverted to 
education by Iowa have not been so diverted in some of the 
other States; while other grants of land or money have been 
so used. In some cases land granted has not been offered 
for sale, but has been leased or rented for a number of years, 
the school funds thus gaining the "unearned increment" in 
the value of the land. In other cases a minimum selling 
price has been fixed considerably higher, or lower, than that 
in Iowa. Several States give direct aid to the high schools. 
Some maintain several normal schools. Some have organized 
the State University and the State Agricultural College as 
one institution. Different methods of supporting the State 
institutions of higher learning are made use of by the various 
States. Aid to county institutes differs in amount and in 
the means used for extending such aid. Only a few of the 
numerous problems which are suggested by a study of Fed- 
eral and State aid to education will be considered in this 
paper, and these will be discussed in only a general way. 

THE FEDERAL LAND GRANTS 

As has been previously mentioned, the grant of land for 
the support of common schools consisted of the sixteenth 
section in each township in each State admitted into the 
Union previous to August 14, 1848; while to each State 
admitted since that date the sixteenth and thirty-sixth sec- 
tions have been donated. Some of the newer States still 
retain a part or all of this land. They will thus realize 
from it a much larger sum of money than if it had been of- 
fered for sale at an earlier date. Iowa's Sixteenth Section 
Grant lands were chiefly sold at the price of one dollar and 



138 FEDERAL AND STATE AID TO EDUCATION 

twenty -five cents per acre. Had these lands not been sold 
until the present time the fund arising from their sale would 
have been much larger. But there is another point to be 
considered. The wealth of the people of the State was so 
small at an early day that any considerable development of 
the jDublic schools would have been impossible without the 
money received from the sale of these lands. Accordingly, 
they were sold. It was a case where the law-makers and 
educational administrators considered that the immediate 
need more than balanced the advantage of waiting for a 
larger sum at a subsequent time. However, when viewed 
from the standpoint of the ultimate future, it would seem 
that those States are pursuing a wiser policy which are holding 
their school lands by putting upon them a minimum selling 
price so high as to prohibit their immediate sale. 

Federal land grants for State Universities have been made 
to the Western and Southern States. The amounts of land 
received under these grants vary from one township (46,080 
acres) to nearly 250,000 acres. As a result of these grants, 
there have sprung up all over our land the State Universities, 
which seem to many people to be destined to become the 
really great and lasting institutions of higher learning in 
America. Some of these universities are yet small and weak, 
but with proper support from the State they are sure to be- 
come the strong bulwarks of our republican institutions. 

AMOUNT OF FEDEEAL AID TO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES 

As was stated in the discussion of the Agricultural College 
Land Grant, Iowa under the Act of Congress of July 2, 
1862, received 240,000 acres of land for the founding and 
support of an Agricultural College. This act granted to 



FEDERAL AID TO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES 139 

each State an amount of land equal to thirty thousand acres 
for each Senator and Representative of that State in the 
Federal Congress. Under the Act of 1862 land has been 
granted to forty-five States. The following table shows the 
number of acres granted to each of these States under this 
act. ^ It also gives the approximate values of the lands thus 
obtained, as these values are set forth in the Report of the 
Commissioner of Education for 1903.- 

TABLE NO. XXIV 





NO. OP ACRES 


VALUE 


Alabama 


240,000 


$253,500 


Arkansas 


150,000 


130,000 


California 


150,000 


741,452 


Colorado 


90,000 


240,145 


Connecticut 


180,000 


135,000 


Delaware 


90,000 


83,000 


Florida 


90,000 


154,300 


Georgia 


2'70,000 


242,202 


Idaho 


90,000 


900,000 


Illinois 


480,000 


613,427 


Indiana 


390,000 


340,000 


Iowa 


240,000 


594,488 


Kansas 


90,000 


492,381 


Kentucky 


330,000 


165,000 


Louisiana 


210,000 


182,313 


Maine 


210,000 


118,300 


Maryland 


210,000 


118,000 


Massachusetts 


860,000 


219,000 


Michigan 


240,000 


1,069,454 


Minnesota 


120,000 


570,576 



^ JReportofthe Commissioner of Education, 1896-1897, Vol. II, pp. 1137-1264. 
'•BeiMrt of the Commissioner of Education, 1903, Vol. I, p. 1179. 



140 FEDERAL AND STATE AID TO EDUCATION 





NO. OP ACRES 


VALUE 


Mississippi 


210,000 


449,659 


Missouri 


330,000 


409,881 


Montana 


90,000 


192,500 


Nebraska 


90,000 


318,000 


Nevada 


90,000 


93,000 


New Hampshire 


150,000 


80,000 


New Jersey 


210,000 


116,000 


New York 


990,000 


688,576 


North Carolina 


270,000 


125,000 


North Dakota 


130,000 


1,059,482 


Ohio 


630,000 


524,146 


Oregon 


90,000 


131,556 


Pennsylvania 


780,000 


427,291 


Rhode Island 


120,000 


50,000 


South Carolina 


180,000 


191,800 


South Dakota 


160,000 


804,585 


Tennessee 


300,000 


396,000 


Texas 


180,000 


209,000 


Utah 


200,000 


269,696 


Vermont 


150,000 


135,500 


Virginia 


300,000 


516,468 


Washington 


90,000 


900,000 


West Virginia 


150,000 


90,000 


Wisconsin 


240,000 


303,460 


Wyoming 


90,000 


111,450 



It will be seen from this table that the price received for 
or put upon the Agricultural College Grant lands has varied 
from a minimum of 41f cents per acre in Rhode Island to a 
maximum of $10.00 per acre in Idaho. The price received 
in Iowa compares favorably with that received in other 
States, being approximately $2.50 per acre. Several of the 
States, have fixed a minimum selling price for this land. 



LAND GRANTS FOR STATE UNIVERSITIES 141 

Among them is Nebraska where hj constitutional provision 
a minimum price o£ $7.00 per acre is established. 

There are some striking differences in the plans adopted 
in the various States for the expenditure of the funds coming 
from the Agricultural College Grant. In many cases a Col- 
lege of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts has been estab- 
lished as a separate and distinct institution. This is true of 
Iowa. In other cases the funds have been used to develop 
a department or school of agriculture in connection with or 
as a part of the State University. Minnesota may be men- 
tioned as an illustration of this plan. In a few instances a 
part or all of the grant was turned to the support of such a 
department or school in an institution not regularly support- 
ed by the State. Such is true of Cornell University, in New 
York. Of course, such bestowal of this aid upon the private 
or denominational institution carries with it a certain amount 
of State supervision. In several of the Southern States the 
land granted has been divided, part of it going to an agri- 
cultural and industrial school for Negroes and the remainder 
being used for a school for White students. 

Under the first of the plans just mentioned Iowa has de- 
veloped a great college for training the youth of the State 
along the lines of agriculture, veterinary science, the several 
kinds of engineering, and other fields of activity important 
to the welfare of the people of a prairie State such as Iowa. 

FEBEKAL LAND GRANTS FOR STATE UNIVERSITIES 

The Federal government granted to Iowa for the use of a 
State University one township of land. There was also 
diverted to University uses a portion of the land constituting 
the Saline Grant. About one-tenth of that land was so 



142 FEDERAL AND STATE AID TO EDUCATION 

diverted. The Federal government lias done equally well, 
and in many instances much better, for most of the States 
of the Union. The quantities of land thus granted range 
from 46,080 acres — the amount granted Iowa — to 246,080 
acres — the amount granted Utah. This land has been more 
or less intelligently disposed of by several States. The 
nature of the land varies in the different States, and its value 
of course varies accordingly. The following table, compiled 
from the Report of the Commissioner of Education, shows 
the quantity and, in a number of the States, the actual or 
estimated value to the Universities of the lands provided for 
higher education by the United States: — 





TABLE NO. XXV^ 






NO. OF ACRES 


VALUE 


Alabama 


92,160 


828,740 


Arizona 


46,080 




Arkansas 


46,080 


276,000 


California 


52,480 


100,000 


Colorado 


46,080 




Florida 


92,160 


130,000 


Idaho 


196,080 




Illinois 


46,080 


60,000 


Indiana 


72,662 


231,231 


Iowa 


50,080 


300,000 


Kansas 


46,080 


135,000 


Louisiana 


46,080 




Michigan 


48,080 


575,000 


Minnesota 


92,160 


800,000 


Mississippi 


69,120 




Missouri 


46,080 


108,700 


Montana 


196,080 
oner of Education, 1896-1897, V 




1 Report of the Commissi 


ol. n, pp. 1137-1164. 



LAND GRANTS FOR STATE UNIVERSITIES 143 





NO. OF ACRES 


VALUE 


Nebraska 


46,080 


322,560 


Nevada 


46,080 


38,000 


New Mexico 


46,080 




North Dakota 


126,080 




Ohio 


69,120 




Oklahoma 


59,520 




Oregon 


46,080 


80,000 


South Dakota 


126,080 




Tennesse 


100,000 




Utah 


246,080 




Washington 


146,080 




Wisconsin 


92,160 


333,778 


Wyoming 


46,080 





As was true of the Agricultural College Grant lands above 
discussed, tlie price of the University Grant lands varies 
greatly with different States, from about 82 cents per acre 
in Nevada to $11.96 per acre in Michigan. Iowa's price, 
approximately $6.00 per acre, ranks well up in the list. 

In some of the States more than one Federal grant was 
used for universities. In Illinois one-half of one per cent 
of all proceeds derived from the sale of the United States 
land within the State was used for higher education. In 
Iowa, as noted above, about one-tenth of the lands granted 
to the State as saline became University lands. 

The sale of University lands was not strikingly different 
from the sale of other lands granted for common or higher 
or technical education. In most States it was thrown on the 
market in competition with other lands still held by the 
United States, and so was frequently sold at the same uni- 
form price of $1. 25 per acre. However, some States profited 
by the experience of others and so realized much more from 



144 FEDERAL AND STATE AID TO EDUCATION 

their University lands. This was true, for example, of 
Minnesota and Nebraska. Although in no case perhaps 
have the lands been so disposed of as to bring the largest 
possible returns, yet the Federal grants have been and now 
are of great value to higher and common education through- 
out the United States. 

NUMBER OF NORMAL SCHOOLS 

Another respect in which there is considerable difference 
as to procedure in the different States is the number of nor- 
mal schools supported wholly or in part by State aid. In 
Iowa there is only one State Normal School, located at Cedar 
Falls, some distance northeast of the center of the State. 
In other States the number of normal schools aided or sup- 
poi'ted varies from one to thirteen. The following table 
gives the number of State normal schools in each of the 
States of the Union supporting such normal schools: 





TABLE NO. 


XXVI 




Alabama 


5 


Iowa 


1 


Arizona 


2 


Kansas^ 


3 


Arkansas 


1 


Kentucky' 


4 


California 


5 


Louisiana 


1 


Colorado 


1 


Maine 


5 


Connecticut 


4 


Maryland 


2 


Florida 1 


2 


Massachusetts 


10 


Georgia 


2 


Michigan 


4 


Idaho 


2 


Minnesota 


5 


Illinois 


6 


Mississippi 


2 


Indiana 


1 


Missouri* 


6 



1 1 for colored teachers 

^ 1 central school and 2 branches 

' 1 for colored teachers 

♦ 1 for colored teachers. 



NUMBER OF NORMAL SCHOOLS 145 



Montana 


1 


Rhode Island 


1 


Nebraska 


2 


South Carolina 


1 


New Hampshire 


1 


South Dakota 


4 


New Jersey 


1 


Tennesse 


1 


New Mexico 


2 


Texas' 


4 


New York 


12 


Utah 


1 


North Carolina 


1 


Vermont 


3 


North Dakota 


2 


Virginia^ 


4 


Ohio 


2 


Washington 


3 


Oklahoma 


3 


West Virginia' 


6 


Oregon 


3 


Wisconsin 


7 


Pennsylvania 


13 







In several of the States in the above list one or more of 
the normal schools have been established within the past 
few years. In some States there is now agitation for the 
establishment of a still larger number. The question to be 
decided in each case is as to whether it is better to have only 
one State normal school and make it a large and strong one, 
or to have several smaller normal schools. In Iowa the 
former plan has been followed; and there is much truth in 
the claim that there is no State normal school in the United 
States which is the superior of the Iowa State Normal School. 
This fact is a matter of pride to many people in Iowa; and 
so any movement calculated to bring about the establishment 
of more normal schools in Iowa is viewed by some with con- 
siderable trepidation. On the other hand, there is a great 
call in this State for more normal schools. It is believed by 
many that at least three more such institutions are needed. 



' 1 includes colored school 
'' 2 for colored teachers 
• 1 for colored teachers 



146 FEDERAL AND STATE AID TO EDUCATION 

They believe that there would be an abundance of students 
to furnish a large attendance for a normal in each comer of 
the State without seriously (perhaps without at all) cutting 
into the attendance at Cedar Falls. Upon several occasions 
resolutions have been passed at the meeting of the Iowa 
State Teachers' Association to the effect that it is the senti- 
ment of that body that at least three more normal schools 
should be established. The fear that Iowa is financially 
unable to support adequately such institutions is, of course, 
absurd and unfounded. If the educational welfare of the 
people would be better promoted by such a policy there is 
no room to question its possibility and feasibility. In the 
writer's judgment it is only a question of a few years at 
most until Iowa will have several normal schools, intended 
primarly for the training of grade teachers. 

STATE AID TO HIGHER EDUCATION 

The statesmen who first extended Federal aid to education 
in the United States were justified in their belief that the 
central government would thus be stimulating State and local 
support of education. After the universities and colleges 
have been founded as a result of Federal aid, the legislatures 
of the various States have not been willing to see such uni- 
versities and colleges die. Accordingly, legislative appro- 
priations have been made to provide funds for extending 
their usefulness. In Iowa the State has encouraged higher 
education not only by these legislative appropriations but 
also by the levying of a "millage tax" for buildings for this 
purpose. Several other States are also granting aid by these 
two methods. 

A glance at the amount of the legislative appropriations 



STATE AID TO HIGH SCHOOLS 147 

in Iowa will disclose the fact that during the past few years 
there has been manifested an ever-growing appreciation of 
the value and function of the institutions of higher education. 
But several of the other States have shown a still larger 
realization of the importance and the need of these institu- 
tions. From the Report of the Commissioner of Education 
for the year 1904 the portion of the income of institutions of 
higher education which was received from States and muni- 
cipalities was $9,922,903.'^ This Report also shows that 
nine States and two Territories at that time made use of 
some form of the general property tax for the support of high- 
er learning. No interests of the people of Iowa rank higher 
than those of the educational institutions; the people of the 
State are prosperous enough to develop to the utmost point 
of efficiency their State University, State College of Agricul- 
ture and the Mechanic Arts, and the State Noi'mal School. 
It is to be hoped that future legislatures will see this fact 
even more clearly than have past legislatures. 

At its second session the Fifty-ninth Federal Congress 
manifested its recognition of the desirability and importance 
of continuing and increasing aid to higher technical education. 
By it a law was enacted increasing the annual Federal ap- 
propriation for each experiment station from fifteen thousand 
to thirty thousand dollars. It also increased the amount 
of the annual appropriation for agricultural colleges from 
twenty-five thousand to fifty thousand dollars. 

STATE AID TO HIGH SCHOOLS 

The granting of State aid to public high schools by a 
direct cash bonus or by certain other helpful means is a fea- 

' Report of the Commissioner of Education, 1904, Vol. I, p. xvi. 



148 FEDERAL AND STATE AID TO EDUCATION 

ture of educational administration in several States. An 
article on Special State Aid to High Schools^ written by- 
Professor Frederick E. Bolton, and published in Educational 
Review^ sets forth many important facts bearing on this sub- 
ject. ^ Professor Bolton shows that several States appropriate 
State money according to various plans for the maintenance of 
high schools. Among these States are Massachusetts, Maine, 
Wisconsin, Minnesota, California, Connecticut, Florida, 
North Dakota, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, 
Rhode Island, and Washington. 

The machinery by which State aid to high schools is ad- 
ministered differs in the different cases. The amount depends 
in some instances on the standard of the high school aided, 
and in other cases on the attendance at the school, or the 
amount of money raised for the support of the school by 
local taxation. 

A few of the States granting direct aid to high schools 
provide amounts as follows: — Pennsylvania grants aid to 
three classes of high schools. These schools are classified 
as two-year, three-year, and four-year high schools. The 
third grade schools receive $400 annually, the second grade 
$600 annually, and the first grade $800 annually. North 
Dakota makes a like classification of schools, granting $200, 
$300, and $400 respectively to the three grades. Certain 
high schools in Wisconsin receive annually from the general 
funds of the State one-half of the amount actually expended 
for instruction. Wisconsin also grants aid upon the basis 
of a classification of the schools. In Massachusetts, the 
amount of aid given to schools depends upon the number of 

> Educational Review, Vol. XXXI (February, 1906), pp. 141-166. 



STATE AID TO HIGH SCHOOLS 149 

families resident in the town and the value of property there 
owned. California follows a plan different from those men- 
tioned, as the State aid there is to the amount of fifteen 
dollars per pupil in average daily attendance at the properly 
established high schools. In Rhode Island the State grants 
annually for the first twenty -five pupils twenty dollars per 
pupil, and for the second twenty-five pupils ten dollars per 
pupil. 

Under whichever one of these various plans State aid is 
being granted its results are proving very beneficial to the 
cause of education. Iowa has no provision at present for 
State aid or support to high schools. 

There has been recently considerable agitation favorable 
to State aid to high schools in Iowa, but up to the present 
time no legislation has been enacted. At the last meeting 
of the Iowa State Teachers' Association {December, 1906) 
there was presented a report of a special committee of twenty- 
two Iowa educators who had been appointed to investigate 
the question of State aid to high schools. This report, 
presented by Professor F. C. Ensign, the chairman of the 
committee, was divided into three parts. Part one reviewed 
the present status of State aid; part two was a discussion of 
such aid; and part three was in the form of a bill embody- 
ing the ideas of the members of the committee relative to 
State aid to high schools in Iowa. This report recommend- 
ed the enactment of a law granting aid to Iowa high schools, 
chiefly upon the basis of a classification of the schools of the 
State into two grades, namely; four-year high schools, and 
three -year high schools. Further State aid was recommend- 
ed through the reimbursement by the State of money used 



150 FEDERAL AND STATE AID TO EDUCATION 

to pay tuitiou under certain circumstances. This is one of 
the lines along which much good work may be done for 
education in Iowa. It is sincerely to be hoj)ed that in the 
near future the General Assembly may deem it wise and ex- 
pedient to provide for State aid to Iowa high schools. 

CONCLUSION 

In conclusion it is clear that the granting of Federal and 
State aid to encourage and build up educational agencies has 
been and is being abundantly justified. From the lowest 
grade of the common schools to the most highly specialized 
research work of the Graduate College of the University, a 
great stimulus has been given to educational activity. It is 
a truism to say that in a Democracy national stability and 
advancement depend upon the intelligence and character of 
its citizens. But this is so profoundly true that its impor- 
tance should be deeply impressed in our minds. The Federal 
government has done much in laying foundations; the State 
also has done much in building wisely and well ; but much 
more yet remains to be done in Iowa before our common 
schools and higher institutions will be up to the standard 
which is to be desired. Already our school system, with the 
Graduate College of the State University as its cap sheaf, 
has arisen to large proportions; but it remains to the future 
to see reared in Iowa a most magnificent educational system 
dedicated to truth and to the manhood best prepared to 
render real service to Iowa and humanity. 



REFERENCES 

ORIGINAL SOURCES 

Journals of Congress (of the Confederation). 

Journals of the Iowa Senate. 

Journals of the Iowa House of Representatives. 

Laws of Iowa Territory. 

Laws of Iowa. 

Reports of the Secretary of the Interior. 

Reports- of the U. S. Commissioner of Education. 

Reports of the Iowa State Land Office. 

Reports of the Treasurer of Iowa. 

Reports of the Auditor of Iowa. 

Reports of the Iowa Superintendent of Public Instruction. 

Reports of State Superintendents of other States. 

Reports of The State University of Iowa. 

Reports of The Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. 

Reports of The Iowa State Normal School. 

United States Statutes at Large. 

SECONDARY SOURCES 

Adams, Herbert E., "The State and Higher Education". Proceedings of the 
Department of Superintendence, 1889, pp. 262-277. (Bureau of Education, 
— Circular of Information No. 2, 1889). 

Benton, Thomas H., "A Historical Sketch of the State University of Iowa". 
(Davenport, Iowa, 1877.) 99 pp. 

Blackmar, Frank W., "Federal and State Aid to Higher Education in the United 
States". (Bureau of Education, — Circular of Information No. 1, 1890.) 
343 pp. 

Blair, Hon. H. W., " National Aid to Education ". Proceedings of the Depart- 
ment of Superintendence, 1889, pp. 297-300. (Bureau of Education, — Circu- 
lar of Information No. 2, 1889. ) 

Bolton, Frederick E., "Special State Aid to High Schools". Educational Re- 
view, Vol. 31, pp. 141-166. (Also incorporated, with some abridgment, in the 
Report of the Department of Public Instruction in Iowa, 1906, pp. 38-49.) 

Bureau of Education, " Federal and State Aid to Establish Higher Education ". 
Report of the Commissioner of Education, 1896-'97, pp. 1137-1164 (Vol. 2, 
Ch. xxin. — also issued as a separate reprint). 

Campbell, Fred. M., " The State and the Higher Education ". Proceedings of the 
Department of Superintendence, 1889, pp. 254-261. (Bureau of Education, — 
Circular of Information No. 2, 1889.) 

Chandler, George, " Iowa and the Nation ". (A. Flanagan, Chicago, 1895) 354 pp. 



152 REFERENCES 

Dyke, Charles B., "The Economic Aspect of Teachers' Salaries". (Columbia 
Contributions to Philosophy, Psychology and Education, Vol. 7, No. 2) 84 
pp. 

Eaton, Hon. John, "National Aid to Education". (Bureau of Education, — Cir- 
cular of Information, No. 2, 1879) 37 pp. 

Hinsdale, B. A., "Some Sociological Factors in Rural Education in the United 
States". Addresses and Proceedings of the N. E. A., 1896, pp. 261-269. 

Hogg, Alexander, "Federal Aid ". Proceedings of the Department of Superin- 
tendence, 1888, pp. 153-165. (Bureau of Education,— Circular of Informa- 
tion No. 6, 1888.) 

Jones, David Rhys, "State Aid to Secondary Schools ". (University of California 
Publications. — Education, Vol. 3, No. 2) 150 pp. - 

Lovett, J. A. B., "Federal Aid". Proceedings of the Department of Superin- 
tendence, 1888, pp. 146-148. (Bureau of Education,— Circular of Informa- 
tion No. 6, 1888.) 

Marble, A. P., "The Blair Bill". Proceedings of the Department of Superin- 
tendence, 1888, pp. 148-152. (Bureau of Education, — Circular of Informa- 
tion No. 6. 1888.) 

Parker, Leonard F., " Higher Education in Iowa ". (Bureau of Education, — Cir- 
cular of Information No. 6, 1893) 190 pp. 

Rollins, Frank, "School Administration in Municipal Government". (Nev? 
York, 1902) 107 pp. 

Seerley and Parish, "History and Civil Government of Iowa". (Werner, Chi- 
cago, 1897) 387 pp. 



LE Ap '09 



FEDERAL AND 8TATE AID TO 

EDrrVATTOX IX lOAVA 



HUGH STRAIGHT BUFFUM Ph.D. 



lysTBrcTOB i>* KT>rrAnoN at the 9C&TE wtvzr^ 




REPRINTED FROM THE OCTOBER 1906 AND . i.: 
.JANUARY APRIL ASP .JULY 1907 LUMBERS OF 
THE IOWA JOrRXAL OF HISTORY AST) POLITIC^ 

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